Lady Broncos drop league games against Davenport, NWC

The hardships continued for the Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Lady Broncos’ basketball team as they entered the final three weeks of the regular season.

The Lady Broncos posted a 55-34 loss to Northeast 2B North League opponent Davenport on Jan. 9, then endured a 63-53 defeat against league opponent Northwest Christian two days later.

The Lady Gorillas jumped to an early lead, outscoring LRS 14-9 in the first quarter. The Lady Broncos outscored Davenport, 9-6, in the second quarter to cut the scoring gap to 20-18 at the end of the first half.

Despite LRS beginning the game with a deficit Head Coach Steve Wellsandt said the Lady Broncos played well against the Lady Gorillas in the first half of the game.

The Lady Broncos struggled offensively in the third quarter as Davenport outscored them 18-8. The Lady Gorillas outscored LRS 17-8 in the fourth to secure the victory.

During the second half, Wellsandt said the team utilized a 1-3-1 zone, but some players missed their defensive assignments, allowing the Lady Gorillas to score many of their points from inside the paint.

Eliza Galbreath and Linnea Schafer led the Lady Broncos in scoring with nine points each. Lacey Miller scored six points, while Peyton Curtis had five.

Brooke Koch and Julia Klein scored two points each and Abby Gering added one.

Wellsandt said the Lady Broncos continue to struggle with making their shots from the inside. The team also made too many turnovers, several of which Wellsandt added were unforced.

Against NWC, the Lady Broncos managed to stay close in scoring to the Lady Crusaders, who led 15-11 in the first quarter. NWC boosted their lead in the second quarter to bring the score 29-19 at halftime.

Wellsandt said LRS struggled the 1-3-1 defense struggled during the first half, resulting in the team switching to a man defense for the second half.

During the third quarter, Wellsandt said the Lady Crusaders were ahead by 18 points until LRS fought back and started chipping away at NWC’s lead to cut the score to 46-35.

The fourth quarter was LRS’s strongest of the night as they outscored NWC, 18-17.

With two minutes left to play, Wellsandt said the team had the opportunity to cut the scoring gap to six points when they were awarded a one and one free throw. LRS was unsuccessful in the front end of the free throw, and later fouled the Lady Crusaders on a two-point shot and ran out of time.

Curtis had one of her strongest performances of the season, leading both teams with 32 points and recording seven rebounds.

Galbreath and Schafer scored six points each. Miller added five, Klein had three and Koch recorded one.

Similar to previous games, Wellsandt said the Lady Broncos made several unforced turnovers against the Lady Crusaders and struggled to make their shots from the paint.

Wellsandt said the team will continue to spend practice working on executing their offense and improving their shooting.

As for turnovers, Wellsandt said the team averages about 18-19 turnovers per game, and he would like to see it cut down to 12-15.

Consistency is another area the team needs to focus on improving. He explained athletes will play well for two or three quarters in a game before they shut down. He believes if the Lady Broncos can play consistently for four quarters, they can match up against the best teams in the league.

LRS, who is 3-6 in league play and 5-7 overall, are tied for third place with Reardan in the NE2B South League standings.

The Lady Broncos continue league play on Jan. 19 in Gilson Gym against Wilbur-Creston, who are ranked fifth in the NE 2B North Conference.

Wellsandt said Wilbur-Creston has struggled in recent weeks against league opponents. The Lady Wildcats, who are 2-6 in league and 2-10 overall, are coming off back-to-back losses against Asotin and Colfax.

He hopes the Lady Broncos can take care of business against the Lady Wildcats and secure a victory in their home gym.

The next day, the Lady Broncos will travel to Kettle Falls to play the Lady Bulldogs, who are fourth in the NE 2B North conference standings.

Like Wilbur-Creston. Wellsandt said Kettle Falls has experienced some difficulties during their last few games. However, Wellsandt does not want LRS to underestimate the Lady Bulldogs, and said they will have to play hard and consistent to earn the victory.