Ranger girls soar over the Wall Eagles

The Hill City High School Rangers girls basketball team went head-to-head with the Wall Eagles Jan. 30 in front of their home crowd. Alaina Dean quickly put the Rangers on the board with her first of two three-point shots.
While the Rangers managed to hold their lead throughout the game, “they struggled a little bit defensively,” said head coach Anna Eckert.
“We focused on coming out with more intensity in the second, and the girls kept them scoreless in the fourth quarter,” Eckert said. “Offensively, we have struggled all year getting points up on the board. Wall forces everything very strong left, making you play only on one side of the court. The girls knew this going into the game and stepped up to the challenge. The played much more calm and poised and were able to finish at the rim.”
Eckert also credited the team’s win to their height and rebounding.
Macie Ham led the Rangers with 11 points, helping the Rangers clench the 44-25 victory over the Eagles.
“As we come into the last part of our season, I’m excited to see how much these girls grow in the next few weeks,” said Eckert.
The Rangers also faced the Sturgis Brown Scoopers Jan. 28 with a loss of 49-43 and were unable to overcome the undefeated Harding County Ranchers Jan. 31 that ended in a final score of 54-39.  
This week, the girls go on the road taking on Newell Feb. 6 and Chadron, Neb., Feb. 7.