COLONY— A sluggish start doomed Crest High School’s girls’ basketball team Friday night against Chetopa. The Lancers lost 31-26 despite a late comeback.
Chetopa started fast, pulling out to a 7-2 lead early in the first quarter. Crest finally got on the board four minutes into the action. That score was soon followed up by a three-pointer from Lindsey Godderz to pull the Lancers within two of Chetopa. Crest struggled with turnovers throughout the night but especially in the first half. Chetopa started to pull away again and had an 18-11 lead before another Godderz three brought Crest back within striking range toward the end of the first half. Crest took a couple of bad shots, slowing any momentum they had.
Chetopa led at the half 21-14.
Both teams came out of the half sluggish, neither team scoring over the first 4:25 of the half. When the scoring did begin, it was Chetopa getting wide-open shots and hitting from deep.Crest managed to stay in the game thanks to points from McKenna Hammond who scored with 1:05 left in the third for Crest’s first points of the half. The Lancers ended the third on a 4-0 run, closing the gap to six points.
A big Chetopa three early in the fourth put Crest down by nine points, but the Lancers came roaring back down the stretch as their shots began to fall and the ball bounced in the Lancers’ favor.
The comeback would prove futile, as Chetopa held on but was given their money’s worth as the game wound down. Ultimately, Crest failed to find good shots over the final two minutes, leading to misses and turnovers in Chetopa’s favor.
“We had some misfortune at the end there,” said Crest first-year head coach Caleb Powelson. “What we are going to focus on now is improving and getting our turnovers down and try to make simple, fundamental plays.”
Crest’s Haylee Beckmon drives up the floor vs Chetopa.
Photo by Reese Becker / Iola Register
Crest’s Haylee Beckmon prepares for a free throw.
Photo by Reese Becker / Iola Register
Crest is 1-7 and plays Anderson County Tuesday in the first round of the Yates Center Mid-Season Classic.
Crest (8-6-4-8—26) (FG/3pt) Beckmon 0-1-3-1 Coleman 1-0-1-2 Hermreck 3-0-0-6 Godderz 5/2-0-3-12 Hammond 2-0-1-4 C. Allen 0-1-4-1 TOTALS: 11/2-2-15-26
Chetopa (14-7-3-7—31) Shertz 1/1-2-3-5 Moore 4/4-0-4-12 Otto 1-0-1-2 Pierce 1/1-1-1-4 Beard 2/1-3-4-8 TOTALS: 9/7-6-13-31
