Lady Broncos suffer two league losses to Liberty, Colfax

The Lady Broncos had a tough week as they lost two league matches against Liberty and Colfax.

The team hosted Liberty on Friday, Jan. 27, in hopes of claiming the win against the elite team.

Head Coach Gary Kelly said the Lady Broncos started out slow in the first half of the game, allowing the Lady Lancers’ top scorers Maise Burnham and Christine Denny to score 19 of the team’s 23 points in the first quarter.

Liberty proved to be quick to grab the rebound and drive the ball to the hoop before the Lady Broncos’ defense could recover.

Kelly said the team expected Denny to be a major offensive threat on the court and he knew the Lady Broncos would have to quicken the pace of the game if they wanted to keep up with her.

In order to try and control the tempo of the game, Kelly said the team ran a man-to-man defense with Peyton Curtis matching up against Denny.

The match up allowed Curtis to have a slight height advantage over Denny in an attempt to challenge the athlete’s shooting abilities.

With the team’s defense struggling to challenge the Lady Lancers, Kelly looked to the LRS offense to take quick shots and grab rebounds.

At halftime, the Lady Lancers led 40-19. Kelly said he knew the Lady Broncos would need to increase the intensity in the second half if they wanted to catch up on the scoreboard.

As the third quarter began, Kelly said the team showcased a new found confidence on the court. The Lady Broncos began to familiarize themselves with Liberty’s plays and were quick to transition on defense.

Along with additional energy on the court, Kelly said the team also began playing as a unit, which allowed them to control the pace of the game. The Lady Broncos showcased strong defense in the third quarter as they held Liberty to five points and began to level the score at 32-45.

Tessa Jantz led the team in points with 18 for the Lady Broncos with 7 for 11 at the free throw line. She also showcased strong defense by claiming 17 rebounds in the game.

Kelly said the impressive numbers of rebounds displays the high-energy Jantz continues to play while under pressure.

The change in momentum impressed Kelly as he stated player’s showcased strong camaraderie on the court, which allowed them to play smart basketball.

As the fourth quarter began, Kelly said he knew the team would need to remain aggressive if they wanted to earn the win.

The Lady Broncos fought hard in the fourth quarter, and held Liberty to 10 points. Unfortunately the team missed key free throws and offensive assignments, which prevented them from placing points on the board, said Kelly. As the final buzzer sounded, the team fell to the Lady Lancers 44-55.

Kelly said the slow start in the beginning of the game caused them to fall behind in points to where the team could not recover in the second half.

The Lady Broncos traveled to Colfax on Saturday, Jan. 28, for their next league game. The team knew they would face another offensive threat from Colfax’s elite athlete, Carmen Gfeller.

The team realized the importance of starting the game strong, as they were quick to put eight points on the board in the first quarter. They also displayed strong defense as they held the Lady Bulldogs to three points. Kelly said the Lady Broncos played smart basketball and continued to be a solid unit on the court.

In the first half, the Lady Broncos had been outplaying their opponents by being quick on offense and relentless on defense, said Kelly. By halftime, the team led the game 20-17 and Curtis continued to successfully challenge Gfeller at the hoop.

Jantz led the team in points with 13 for the Lady Broncos and Curtis trailed close behind with 12.

The team started to have foul trouble in the third quarter, which affected their match ups on the court, said Kelly. Gfeller used her height and advanced shooting abilities to her advantage against the younger athletes as she continued to sink two and three point shots.

As the team began to struggle to defend against Colfax’s offense, their shooting became inconsistent as they shot 16 for 22 from the free throw line. Kelly said the missed shots proved to hurt the team later in the game.

At the end of the third quarter, Colfax had taken a 35-29 lead.

In the fourth quarter, Colfax continued to pull further ahead as the Lady Broncos could not stop their offense from scoring. Despite falling behind, Kelly said the LRS team continued to play intense basketball the entire game and remained confident on the court.

He stated Lacey Miller remained a powerhouse by showcasing strong defense and scoring 10 points for the Lady Broncos.

With their lead scorers sitting on the bench due to foul trouble, Kelly said Miller’s determination to play high intensity basketball proved to give the team a confidence boost to finish the game strong.

Despite their efforts, the Lady Broncos lost to Colfax 55-47. Gfeller claimed 22 points for the Lady Bulldogs and shot 9 for 11 at the free throw line.

Kelly said the close scores in both games prove the Lady Broncos can compete with elite teams, which works to their advantage as they begin to enter the post season. As for the team’s overall skill level, Kelly said they are where they should be at this point in the season.

The team has showcased improvement in offense as they have become more consistent in their shooting abilities and ball handling skills, said Kelly. The players are also contributing more offensively, which allows for some of the weight to be lifted from Jantz and Curtis, he explained.

By having more options on offense, Kelly said the team can better control the pace of the game and relieve some pressure from the defense as well.

Kelly said the team will continue working on their shooting abilities in practice as they prepare for their three tough games coming up against Reardan, Tekoa-Rosalia and Asotin.

The Lady Broncos host Tekoa-Rosalia on Friday, Feb. 3, for the final home game of the season.