Wauneta-Palisade girls take down Mavericks

    The Wauneta-Palisade girls’ basketball team was hitting on all cylinders when it hosted Sandhills Valley Saturday.
    With the Broncos’ Friday night game at South Platte postponed due to the weather, WP made up for it with a stellar first quarter.
    Four Broncos scored at least four points in the game’s first eight minutes. While WP hit 10 field goals, the Broncos’ defense held Sandhills Valley scoreless from the floor. The Mavericks’ only points in the quarter came in the form of two free throws.
    WP Head Coach Matt Cox said WP got off to a great start, all fueled by great defense.
    While Sandhills Valley was reliant on one player for its offense, the Broncos continued to find offense from a variety of players in the second quarter. Five players scored in the first half, giving WP a 40-16 lead.
    The Broncos traded points with Sandhills Valley in the third quarter. Unable to extend its lead, WP went into the fourth quarter leading 54-31.
    WP finished off the game with another strong defensive quarter. Only two Mavericks scored as time ran down in the game. The Broncos made four field goals in the fourth quarter, but missed some opportunities from the charity stripe as the game wore down.
    Overall, Cox was very pleased with the 66-38 win.
    “We ran the floor really well and if we need to grind in the half court we did. We were really efficient in our half court offense. It was as a complete four quarters of basketball game as we’ve played all season,” Cox said.
    Goings led the Broncos with 21 points.
    P. Cox notched a double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds.
Up next
    A road game to DCS (0-4) to finish up their pre Christmas schedule is never easy, Cox said of Tuesday’s game.
    The Broncos (4-2) will take part in the Arapahoe Tournament Dec. 29 and 30.
    WP will play Arapahoe (2-5) at 5:30 p.m. CT the first night, then face either Blue Hill (2-3) or North Platte St. Pat’s (2-5) at 5:30 p.m. CT the second night.