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By Spring Atchison
Office Manager 

Lady Cats finish in top 3; earn 4th seed for State

 

(Herald photos by Candie Fix)

FLEMING Lady Wildcat basketball team members headed to the 1A State Tournament this week are pictured back row (l-r), Head Coach Randy Kirkwood, Emoree Lousberg, Siena Donnelson, Madi Serrato, Kally Kirkwood, Maddy Harms, Tori Champ, Kylie Bretz-Hoskins, Quincy Stull, Assistant Coach Janise Gerk; front row (l-r), Ciana Lousberg, Lexi Schaefer, Sam Pope, Whitney Chintala, Zoey Vandenbark, Hunter Donovan, Laney Schliesser, Maddy Zink and Brooklyn Schaefer.

A top-three finish in the Region 2 Tournament last week allows the Lady Wildcats of Fleming to advance into the 1A State Tournament bracket this week. The squad entered Regionals in the number-two slot behind top-ranked Briggdale giving them an opening round bye.

Fleming took on Idalia last Saturday in Brush in their lone contest of Regional play. Idalia defeated Kiowa the day prior to advance to the Championship round of the tournament.

The eighth-ranked Idalia Lady Wolves gave the second seeded local ladies a run for their money in hopes for a spot at State. A low-scoring first quarter saw the Lady Wolves on top by one, 6-5.

The offensive pace of the game picked up slightly in the second quarter with both teams adding double digits. Idalia tacked on 12 and gave up just 11 to add an additional point to their lead by the end of the half, 18-16.

The Lady Wildcats came out early in the third to even the score and take control of the scoreboard remained tight heading into the fourth quarter, 28-26.

Throughout a physical final quarter, the Lady Wildcats would go up by as many as seven and as few as three at times. Fleming remained on top at the final horn, 38-35.

Four Lady Wildcats contributed to Saturday's total tally. Junior Kally Kirkwood led with 19 points. She went two-for-two outside the three-point arc.

Seniors Whitney Chintala and Zoey Vandenbark added nine and eight points respectively. Junior Maddy Harms tacked on the remaining two.

FLEMING SENIOR Whitney Chintala drives toward the basket in Saturday's Regional outing against Idalia.

Every player on the floor for the Lady Wildcats brought down rebounds in the contest. Kirkwood also led in that category with seven boards. Chintala followed with six; Harms, sophomore Madi Serrato and senior Sam Pope each brought down four.

The Lady Wildcats have been seeded in the fourth slot of the State bracket behind Briggsdale, Flatirons Academy and Lone Star. They are set to open State play on Thursday, March 10 at 4 p.m. against fifth seeded Sangre de Cristo. A win on Thursday would pit the Lady Wildcats against the winner of a Briggsdale/Lone Star outing at 7 p.m. on Friday. A Thursday loss would drop them into the consolation bracket against the loser of the Briggsdale/Lone Star contest. Opening rounds of State are scheduled to take place at the Butler/Hancock arena in Greeley. Championships are set to be played at the Budweiser Event Center in Loveland. Complete brackets appear on pages 8 and 9.

 

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