Wauneta-Palisade falls to Wallace in RPAC tourney

    The Wauneta-Palisade girls’ basketball team’s RPAC tournament took a turn for the worst Monday with a 51-53 overtime loss to Wallace.
    Each team only had two players score in the first quarter. Chloe Stehno and Alexa Sandman combined to score 10 points for WP, but Kendyl Flaming and Karlie Finley teamed up to score 14 for Wallace.
    WP made up the four-point deficit in the second quarter. Stehno put six more points on the board to go with five by GraCee Goings and two from Sandman.
    Wallace made the game interesting with a big third quarter. WP only scored eight points but the Wildcats totaled 16, leaving the Broncos trailing 33-40 to start the fourth quarter.
    The Broncos made the most of regulation. Peyton Cox drained a three pointer and added two two-point field goals while Sandman scored four points.
    Two points each from Stehno and Cali Cox, along with a good defensive effort by WP left the game tied at 48 at the end of regulation.
    With each team only making one field goal in overtime, the difference in the game came down to the charity stripe.
    WP made 1-3 compared to 3-6 from Wallace and fell 51-53.
    Stehno scored a game-high 20 points. Sandman also finished in double figures with 12 points.
Gets scare from DCS
    The tournament didn’t get off to a great start for the Broncos. WP faced seventh seeded Dundy County Stratton Saturday morning in Hayes Center.
    WP Head Coach Matt Cox said the Broncos got off to a really slow start.
    “DCS had a great game plan with closing up the lane and we didn’t adjust well enough until late in the game,” Cox said.
    Goings and Sandman set the tone for WP in the first quarter. The duo combined for 15 of WP’s 17 points. The Tigers’ Alyssa Schneider and Stephanie Escobar matched that effort and the teams were tied at the end of the first.
    With three three pointers, DCS grabbed the lead in the second quarter. Four Broncos added to the scoring column in the quarter, but WP headed to the locker room trailing 27-30.
    “We didn’t defend and rebound enough in the first half. Luckily it got better in the second half,” Cox said.
    Besides making 6-8 free throws in the third quarter, WP added six field goals from four different players as the Broncos regained the lead, 45-39.
    Four Broncos scored at least three points in the fourth quarter to close out the 60-48 win.
    Goings led WP with 18 points and Sandman and P. Cox each scored 15 points.
     “These girls have lofty goals, but they have to execute on a possession by possession basis. Every game our goal is to defend and rebound well enough to hold the opponent to single digit scoring quarters,” Cox said.
Handle shorthanded Paxton
    WP went to Paxton Feb. 20.  The Tigers only had six players available for the game. Cox said the Broncos were pretty throttled back in the game. All 12 Broncos played in the game. Behind a 16-point second quarter, P. Cox led all scorers with 26 points. Stehno and Goings each scored 10 points.
    WP (11-5) will take on 7-8 Medicine Valley Feb. 3 in Wauneta. Friday, the Broncos will travel to 2-11 Sutherland.