Lady Cougars Have Up and Down Weekend

It was a weekend of lows and highs as the Lady Cougars were broadsided by the defending C-2 State Champions, Pender, on Friday, but put in their best game of the season on Saturday as they defeated another C-2 team in Wakefield.

 

The (13-1) Pendragons coasted a 63-20 win as 10 players put in points for C-2’s power points leader.  (8-6) Wakefield had to play catch up after the Cougars took an eight point lead at half .  The Trojans came up short 49-47.

 

Pender had a 14 point lead after one quarter and by  half the Cougars faced a 28 point deficit.  The offense never got going as the teams scored a season-low 20 points. Vanessa Peterson was a team leader with 8 points and 8 rebounds.

 

Back on the home court the Cougars played some their best ball on both ends of the court to take a well earned win.  Three players scored in double figures and the team had a decisive advantage in rebounds and steals as Northeast picked up its fourth win of the season .

on Saturday

“Mead was a nice win for us,” said Coach Cronin. “But this was a huge win for us.  We are learning how to win.  The lead slipped away from us ,but we regrouped, came back, and rebuilt out lead.:”

 

Sophomore Brianne Haskell had her hands full on defense as she guarded Wakefield’s Lauren Lehmkuhl who is averaging over 20 points a game.  Lehmkuhl got 25 points, 15 coming in the fourth quarter rally by the Trojans.  Haskell sank six free throws in a row in the fourth quarter to help keep an eight point lead.  She finished with 13 points.

 

Coach  Cronin gave a tip of the hat top Haskell.   “Brianne did an outstanding job of defending tonight against  a senior who is one of the best girl players in the state.  She put a lot of effort into that and stilled scored in double figures.”

 

After the first period ended in tie, Darcey Simonsen put the Cougars on top as she started the quarter with as basket.  The Cougars gained as much a ten point advantage as Simonsen scored 8 of her team-high 17 points.  Northeast lead 22-14 at the half.

L-D                  6          2          8          4          -20

Pender             20        16        16        11        -63

 

                        2pt       3pt       FT        Rb        F          TP

Madie R           0          0          2/2       0          3          2

Darcey S         0          0          0/0       2          2          0

Kelly W           0          1          0/0       1          0          3

Brianne H         1          0          0/0       6          0          2

Blair P              0          0          0/0       0          1          0

Haley B            0          0          0/1       4          4          0

Tessie C           0          0          0/0       0          1          0

Lexie B            0          1          0/0       1          0          3

Libby H            0          0          0/0       0          0          0

Vanessa P        4          0          0/1       8          3          8

Abby P            1          0          0/0       2          1          2

Team               6          2          2/4       24        14        20

Pender            23        4          4/10     –           11        63

 

Wakefield         6          8          13        20        -47

LDNE              6          16        10        17        -49

 

                        2pt       3pt       FT        Rb        F          TP

Madie R           0          0          0/0       1          2          0

Darcey S          3          2          5/9       5          2          17

Brianne H         2          0          9/14     2          4          13

Haley   B          3          2          2/4       6          2          14

Tessie C           0          0          0/0       0          0          0

Vanessa P        2          0          1/2       12        3          5

Abby P            0          0          0/0       7          3          0

Team               10        4          17/29   33        16        49

Wake.             10        6          9/17     27        17        47

 

 

 

Wakefield closed to within four  points early in the third quarter.   Haley Bacon’s trey was the first Cougar points after three and half minute scoring drought.  With 2:09 left the Trojans tied the score at 25 and on their next possession  they finished off a 9-0 run to take a 27-25 lead.

 

In the last 90 seconds the Cougars went on a 7-0 run to build a 32-27 lead.  Darcey Simonsen got a deuce.   Halley Bacon followed with a trey  and Simonsen added two free throws.

 

The Cougar lead seemed comfortable as it grew to ten points.  With 3:35 a Lehmkuhl three made it 43-36.   Northeast would score six more points, all from the free throw line. Wakefield added another trey, two deuces and a free shot to put to within 49-44 with 23 seconds to play.

 

Haskell’s touch at the free line deserted her.  After making six in a row, the sophomore drew iron on four straight.  She came up empty with 20 seconds and 7 seconds left in the game.  Wakefield got another Lehmkuhl three before time ran out.

 

The Cougars got 44 of their points from their guards.  Simonsen had 17, Bacon 14 and Haskell 13.  Vanessa Peterson had 12 rebounds and her sophomore sister  Abby had 7.