The Haxtun Lady Bulldogs opened the 2024 portion of their season on the road against Prairie last week. The second half of the season kicked off with a busy schedule, taking the girls on the road to Prairie and Holyoke while also hosting Wiggins in just the first week and a half of the new year.

A Jan. 5 match up with Prairie brought on a rematch of the last contest of 2023 as the Lady Bulldogs took on the Lady Mustangs for the second time this season. The first match up came in mid-December during the Holiday Tournament at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling. Prairie took that game by a 20-point margin.

In the most recent contest, both teams put 10 points on the board in the first quarter, keeping the contest tight heading into the second. The Lady Mustangs pulled out in front with another 10 in the second to claim an advantage at half time.

The Lady Bulldogs put three points on the board in the third and eight in the fourth but the home team Mustangs were able to hold on for a nine-point advantage. Despite a loss, Haxtun gave Prairie a closer contest than the first meeting of the two teams.

Juniors Bobbi Starkebaum and Kelsie Hadeen each tallied eight points in Prairie. Starkebaum connected with three field goals and two free throws for her eight. Hadeen made four field goals to total eight on the night. Junior Emily Anderson added five points, Heily Avery scored two and Cassidy Goddard put up one.

Starkebaum led under the net with 10 total rebounds. She brought down six on offense and four on defense. Junior Jayleigh Bullard registered nine rebounds. She grabbed three on offense and six on defense. Goddard brought down seven rebound followed by Anderson and Hadeen, each with three, and Avery with two.

Goddard tallied three assists against the Mustangs while Anderson led in steals with three.

Haxtun hosted the Wiggins Lady Tigers in their first home contest of the new year on Saturday, Jan. 6. The Lady Bulldogs took a first quarter advantage, putting 13 points on the board. Wiggins added 21 in the second for the 32-26 half time lead.

The two teams battled throughout the entire second half with Haxtun putting nine points on the board in the third and nine in the fourth. Wiggins went onto hold on for a 10-point win, 54-44.

Starkebaum led her team again in points, this time with 11. She made four field goals and three shots at the charity stripe. Bullard made three field goals and one free throw for seven against the Lady Tigers. Katiegh Cody, Hadeen, Anderson and Goddard each added six points on Saturday.

Under the basket, Starkebaum pulled down 12 rebounds; five of those on offense and seven on defense. Hadeen grabbed nine total rebounds, five on offense and four on defense. Cody brought down four rebounds followed by Bullard and Goddard, each with three, and Kirsta Dishman and Avery, each with two rebounds.

Hadeen led her team in assists with five. Goddard and Avery each tallied two. Avery totaled three steals.

Tuesday night action pitted the Lady Bulldogs in a contest with the neighboring Holyoke Lady Dragons. Despite holding an advantage throughout most of the game, the Lady Bulldogs suffered a loss on the Dragons home court. Stats from that contest were not yet available as of press time.

On Friday, Haxtun is set to host the Bulldogs from Peetz and the following day, Haxtun travels to Yuma to take on the Outlaws.