Lady Tigercats return to the court for league games

After a three-week hiatus, the LaCrosse-Washtucna/Kahlotus Lady Tigercats returned to the hardwood to play two league games. The Lady Tigercats hosted Pomeroy in LaCrosse on Jan. 8 before going on the road the following day to play Touchet.

In LaCrosse, the LWK team suffered a 69-22 loss to Pomeroy.

The Lady Tigercats had a strong start in Friday’s game against Pomeroy, matching the Lady Pirates’ pace and keeping the score balanced until midway through the first quarter.

The Lady Pirates went on a 10-point scoring run, putting the score at 19-6 at the end of the first period.

The second quarter went heavily in favor of Pomeroy as the Lady Pirates put up 18 points to the Lady Tigercats one-point. The Lady Tigercats struggled to start the offense, having multiple unforced turnovers on passes and hurried press break attempts.

“It was a tough game but we executed really well on offense,” Head Coach Jeff Gates said. “We got the shots we wanted, but they still didn’t fall.”

Gates said he saw incredible improvement from the Lady Tigercats, and on the offensive end of the court the team remained patient and worked on ball movement. Gates said the team rotated the ball, keeping the Pomeroy athletes off balance and allowing the Lady Tigercats with looks at the hoop.

The team is still focusing on making solid passes in hopes of reducing turnovers offensively, Gates said.

The Lady Tigercats have also struggled with consistency of shots falling, and Gates said he is making sure to emphasize pressure defense in practice. This will help the team prepare for upcoming games and becoming accustomed to being heavily guarded while looking for the open shot.

Jazlynn Webb led the team in scoring with five points. Nicole Harder, Jadyn Guske and Jazzmyn Gordon each had four points.

Alynn Harder contributed three points for the team, and Bailey Herron-Gonzalez hit a two-point shot.

The team traveled to Touchet on Jan. 9 to face the Lady Indians and returned home with an 80-19 loss. Gates said Sierra McKeown proved to be the thorn in the Lady Tigercats’ side as she scored 36 points for the Lady Indians.

Gates said the team has to improve on help side defense and working to contain strong athletes, such as McKeown. Gates added Nicole Harder has continued to be a strong defensive force for the team but drew two fouls early in the game, which hurt the Lady Tigercats.

The Lady Indians had a height advantage over the young Lady Tigercats team, and Gates said while the LWK team improved on defense, they could not contain Touchet’s scoring efforts.

The Lady Tigercats again struggled with getting shots to fall, and Touchet jumped out to a 49-8 lead at halftime.

In the second half, Gates said the team had an opportunity to rotate players into the game.

He has been impressed by the abilities of the bench and is looking forward to helping the young team develop as athletes in the second half of the season.

Alynn Harder led the Lady Tigercats in scoring with nine points. Gordon added six to the final score, while Guske had two points. Webb and Nicole Harder each sank a free throw.

The Lady Tigercats match up with College Place and Garfield-Palouse this week. Both games are winnable, Gates said, and he is hoping the team can take home at least a single win.