YATES CENTER — Neither Chris Wells nor Jeff True are much inclined to send game film of their teams’ opening round matchup of the Wildcat Winter Classic to any beauty pageants.
“I can sum up this game in one word: ugly,” said True, Southern Coffey County High girls head coach.
“We didn’t shoot very well,” agreed Wells, who coaches Yates Center High’s girls. “Southern Coffey County had a lot to do with that.”
Both teams struggled to score for significant stretches, although Yates Center’s offense began to click enough in the second half to maintain a small lead.
Yates Center prevailed, 38-30, in what also served as its season opener. Southern Coffey County falls to 1-1.
“The best part about tonight is we don’t have to dwell on it for long,” noted True, who returns to Yates Center tonight for second round action against Sedan.
Yates Center returns to the court, also against Sedan, on Thursday evening in pool play.
Results from pool play will determine matchups for Friday’s final round.
Mindi Holloway and Shayna Karmann were first-half catalysts for Yates Center, scoring a combined 17 points as Yates Center led 24-19 at the break.
But foul trouble in the third quarter sent Holloway to the bench, and the Wildcat offense sputtered.
Brittne Brite scored for the Lady Titans to cut Yates Center’s lead to 26-24 with 5:12 left in the quarter. Aubrey Smith countered with a bucket for Yates Center with 2:32 left; the Wildcats’ first field goal in four minutes..
It was the last field goal for either team for the next seven minutes. Becky Wendland drained a jumper for Yates Center with 3:36 left in the game to end the drought, putting the Wildcats on top 30-26.
Still, Southern Coffey County did not give up without a fight. Kalyn Deal’s bucket with 2:25 left in the game — SCC’s first since Brite’s basket in the third quarter, a span of 10 minutes, 40 seconds — cut the Wildcat lead to 30-28.
But Holloway responded almost immediately, racing down the floor for a layup to re-establish a four-point cushion. The Wildcats hit 6 of 10 free throws down the stretch, enough to keep SCC safely at arm’s length. Prior to the fourth quarter, Yates Center was 1 of 10 from the line.
Throughout the second half, the Lady Titans misfired on several buckets that would have tied or given them the lead.
