Lady Broncos defeat Dayton in final 2017 nonleague game

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Lady Broncos basketball team ended 2017 on a high note, with a 53-14 nonleague win against Dayton on Dec. 30.

Head Coach Steve Wellsandt said the Lady Broncos had a consistent lead throughout the game, but started slow against the Lady Bulldogs, scoring only 11 points in the first quarter.

The team maintained the advantage, adding 13 in the second quarter and 11 in the third.

The Lady Broncos had a surge of momentum in the fourth quarter, outshooting Dayton, 18-7, with eight of those points coming from Aaliyah Yaeger.

Peyton Curtis led the team in scoring with 21 points.

Wellsandt said the team played improved defense against Dayton then they had in previous games. He also saw better rebounding from the athletes, especially Julia Klein and Brooke Koch, who led the team with eight rebounds each.

Wellsandt noted players are sometimes impatient when it comes to offensive. Instead of players shooting the ball quickly, Wellsandt would like to see them spend a little more time with the ball and focus on taking better shots.

Wellsandt said the Dayton game was a good opportunity for everyone to gain playing time on the court including Brinley Moore and Rachel Nygren. He said the two athletes play on JV and practice with the varsity team.

Eliza Galbreath returned to the starting lineup, scoring six points during the game. Although it was not her best game in terms of scoring, Wellsandt said she played well for the Lady Broncos in other facets of the game.

Another player who is playing well since she returned from her ankle injury is Tessa O’Brien. Wellsandt said O’Brien is coming off the bench with a lot of energy and uses her quickness on the court.

With the 2017 portion of their schedule over, Wellsandt said the team faces a difficult stretch of games in the next two weeks.

LRS played Columbia-Burbank on Jan. 2 in a rescheduled game due to weather conditions.

The Lady Broncos jump right back into league play with a home game against St. George’s on Jan. 6, followed by a league contest against Davenport on Jan. 9 and a road game against Northwest Christian two days later.

Wellsandt said the Lady Broncos’ next three league contests will allow him to see where the team is at and how much progress they have made over the season.

During the next two weeks of practice, Wellsandt said the team will continue to focus on defense. Another area of improvement for the Lady Broncos during practice is lay-ins.

Wellsandt said many athletes missed breakaway points during the game.

He will also focus on keeping athletes healthy, which continues to be a challenge for the team.

Wellsandt said Alisha Baker turned her ankle during practice and will miss some playing time while Abby Gering is out sick with the flu.

He said the rest of the team appears to be in good shape and hopes they can avoid being ill or injured during the next two weeks.