Girls get back in win column

By: 
Jason Ferguson

The Custer High School girls basketball team put an end to a six-game losing streak last Saturday in Newcastle, Wyo., blasting the Dogies 51-14.
The Wildcats trailed 8-6 at the end of the first quarter but dominated the rest of the game, as the Dogies only scored six points the rest of the game—two in each of the final three quarters. Custer exploded for 26 points in the second quarter alone.
“We came out pretty slow actually, They scored five points right away and we did not shoot very well,” head coach Tayton Vincent said. “Our pressure started to get to them. It was definitely the defensive side of things that got us going.”
The Wildcats forced 27 Dogie turnovers, which led to 24 points. The ’Cats also dominated the glass, pulling down 42 rebounds to Newcastle’s 22. The Dogies only made five baskets the entirety of the game.
Keira Nelson pulled down 13 rebounds for Custer, while Maya Tennyson had eight.
“We got a lot of deflections and tips. It was well-balanced all the way around. We gave ourselves a lot of opportunities,” Vincent said.
Tennyson scored 14 points in the game, as did Kylee Ellerton. Jojo Larsen also hit double figures with 12 points.
Vincent said it was good for the team to have its continued hard work rewarded in the form of a win.
“It’s really nice to see the ball going in and finally get rewarded for everything you’ve been doing at practice every day and have one go your way,” he said.
That was not the case last Thursday, however.
Within the first two minutes of the game, Nelson swooped inside off an inbounds play for a basket to give the Wildcats a 4-3 lead over the visiting Maȟpíya Lúta Crusaders.
It was the last time the Wildcats would have the lead.
From there the Crusaders, ranked third in the state in Class A, used relentless pressure defense and constant fast breaking to finish the first quarter on a 22-3 run on the way to a 78-34 pummeling of the Wildcats.
“I felt we started the game ready to go. We were making some good decision,” Vincent said. “Their pressure sped us up and forced us to do things we don’t normally do. They were capitalizing on those mistakes.”
Abigail Haas hit a corner three-pointer for the Crusaders early in the second quarter to give Maȟpíya Lúta a 30-7 lead.
Nelson scored inside to give Custer its first points in several minutes moments later, but Ashlan Carlow-Blount answered for the Crusaders with a three-pointer.
The Wildcats attempted to make a little run toward the end of the half, going on an eight-point burst, but trailed at halftime 41-15.
The third quarter is where the Crusaders really poured it on, and a running clock for a 30-point lead was activated at the seven minute mark following a Jodene Big Crow-Hunter steal and layup. The Crusaders went up by 40 at the 2:01 mark of the quarter on a Carlow-Blount drive for two, and led 61-16 at the end of the third quarter. Carlow-Blunt led the Crusaders with 20 points, including going seven of eight from the free throw line. As a team, the Crusaders were 23-29 from the charity stripe.
The Crusaders forced the Wildcats into a staggering 40 turnovers, stealing the ball 30 times. The Crusaders had 42 points off turnovers, 37 deflections and 38 points in the paint as the game was virtually a constant fast break for the visitors.
“They are going to be a good team and should have a chance to have a deep postseason run,” Vincent said. “We have to learn from the game and the mistakes we are making. When we did things like we are capable of we got good shots. It was just three or four mistakes in between each of those things. We’ll learn from it and keep building.”
Ellerton was the only Wildcats in double figures with 15 points.
The Wildcats now sit at 2-7, but Vincent is quick to point out most of Custer’s losses are to teams sporting very strong records.
“We are losing to some really good teams and had some chances in some of those games,” he said. “It will make us better for the postseason.”
The Wildcats won’t play again until next Tuesday, when the Chadron (Neb.) Cardinals come to South Dakota for a 6 p.m. matchup. The game will be played at the Hermosa School gym as part of a boys and girls doubleheader.
Vincent said he has not seen much of Chadron yet, but that the Cardinals have a young roster.
“It will be a different atmosphere (in Hermosa) but it will be fun. It will be another chance at a win,” he said.
Custer    6    26    15    7    —54
Newc    8    2    2    2    —14
Custer—Jayda Bennett 1-3 0-0 2, Jojo Larsen 5-9 0-0 12, Siena Schultz 0-1 0-0 0, Kylee Ellerton 3-8 5-8 14, Jordyn Uphoff 3-9 0-0 6, Maya Tennyson 7-12 0-6 14, Rylan Lowe 0-1 0-0 0, Keira Nelson 1-4 2-8 4, Taylor Bland 1-3 0-0 2, Myley May 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 21-51 7-22 54.
Newcastle, Wyo.—Adalyn Olson 2-10 2-6 6, Christine Swentesky 1-4 0-0 3, Lillie Morrill 1-7 1-3 3, Josie Smith 0-1 0-0 0, Delainey Dresen 1-3 0-1 2, Sydney Pederson 0-13 0-0 0. Totals: 5-38 3-10 14.
Three-point goals: Custer 5 (Ellerton 3, Larsen 2), Newcastle 1 (Swentesky). Rebounding: Custer 42 (Nelson 13), Newcastle 22. Steals: Custer 12, Newcastle 8. Assists: Custer 14, Newcastle 3. Turnovers: Custer 18, Newcastle 27. Total fouls: Custer 14, Newcastle 17. Fouled out: None.
Custer    7    8    1    18    —34
ML    25    16    20    17    —78
Custer—Jayda Bennett 1-6 1-2 3, Jojo Larsen 3-4 0-0 6, Kylee Ellerton 3-11 7-10 15, Jordyn Uphoff 0-4 1-2 1, Maya Tennyson 11-5 1-2 3, Rylan Lowe 0-1 0-0 0, Keira Nelson 3-4 0-0 6. Totals: 11-35 10-16 34.
Maȟpíya Lúta—Maya Mills 7-11 2-4 19, Ashlan Carlow-Blount 6-9 7-8 20, Sierra Black Bull 0-1 0-0 0, Josephine Hess 3-3 0-0 6, Dorthie Mesteth 2-3 0-0 4, Jodene Big Crow-Hunter 2-13 7-7 11, Abigail Haas 2-5 4-4 9, Essence Tobacco 2-6 0-1 4, Ofelia Zuniga 1-4 2-3 4, Chalina Ghost 0-0 1-2 1. Totals: 25-55 23-29 78.
Three-point goals: Custer 2 (Ellerton 2), ML 5 (Mills 3, Carlow-Blount 1, Haas 1). Rebounding: Custer 24 (Tennyson 8), ML 26 (Carlow-Blount 8). Steals: Custer 7, ML 30 (Carlow-Blount 7). Assists: Custer 8, ML 14. Turnovers: Custer 40, ML 18. Total fouls: Custer 21, ML 17. Fouled out: none.

 

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