Broncos fall in subdistrict finals

The season came to an end for the Wauneta-Palisade girls basketball team Thursday night.
After defeating two higher seeds in the first two rounds of the D2-9 subdistrict, Medicine Valley 54-41 and Cambridge 43-41, the Broncos lost a close game to Dundy County Stratton in the subdistrict final, 45-42.
Head Coach Matt Cox said his Broncos started off great, then went cold from the field.
WP led 11-6 after the first quarter, but only mustered eight points in the second. DCS got going from the field to leave the Broncos trailing 19-22 at halftime.
That three-point deficit would hold to the final whistle.
WP was outscored 9-10 in the third quarter, then came back from down 11 points with two minutes remaining to out score the Tigers 14-13 in the fourth quarter to finish out the three-point loss.
“The result of the game came down to some slow defensive rotations that resulted in some uncontested three pointers,” Cox said.
WP played well and fought hard, but just came up short at the end of the game, Cox continued.
“We played a great week of basketball, and I’m extremely proud with our basketball display the entire subdistrict week. Heck of a run for a #5 seed,” he said.
GraCee Goings finished the night with 16 points. Peyton Cox scored 11 points, while Emma Acton added eight points. Cox rounded out a double-double with 11 rebounds.
Upset Cambridge
Two nights earlier WP took down top-seeded Cambridge on the Trojans’ home court.
“It’s really hard to go back to back as a five seed and be very successful in subdistricts,” Cox said.
The physical and emotional effort spent on Monday, when WP beat Medicine Valley in the first round, always comes into play on Tuesday, he added.
After a three pointer by Goings to start WP scoring, Acton chipped in four-straight points. A free throw by Stehno and bucket by Cox left the Broncos trailing 10-19 at the end of the first quarter.
Pressure by WP slowed the Trojans down, but Cox said he  didn’t love his team’s energy and passion in the first half.
The Broncos trailed 19-27 at haltfime behind four second quarter points by Goings, three from Doetker and two by Cox.
“I asked a lot of the girls to run our full-court trap in the second half but it turned out to be the difference,” Cox said.
WP improved at both ends of the court in the second half. Goings hit a three and two free throws in the third quarter to go with four points by Cox and a basket each from Stehno and Acton.
Trailing 32-33 to start the final stanza, the Broncos kept up the defensive pressure and only gave up eight points in the quarter.
Stehno, Cox, Acton and Doetker each made a bucket as time ran down and WP made just enough free throws to eke out a 43-41 upset.
“We held them to three single digit scoring quarters and that was the difference in the game,” Cox said.
Goings led WP with 13 points and six assists. Cox led the Broncos with 11 rebounds and 11 points.
Stehno pulled down eight rebounds.
WP ends its season at 9-12.