The 8th grade Lady Wrangler basketball teams had their first game in the new year at home last night against the East Broncos. The teams knew going into the game that it was not going to be easy and that they were competing against a very tough and talented team, but that didn’t stop our girls from trying!
The B team started the night off with a fiery defense, keeping the score 0-0 for the majority of the first quarter. With 8 rebounds and 4 points on the board, Jada Kinnon came prepared, creating great defense and reading the Lady Bronco offense well for rebounds and a steal. The Lady Wranglers moved the ball well, doing the best that they could to keep the ball out of the opponent's reach. The speed of West increased drastically compared to the week prior, and their hard work at practice over the past week showed in this game. Makayla Giddings and Kanishka Muthukuri did a great job at getting around their defenders with a press, and looking for as many open shots as possible. Although a very hard game, the Lady Wranglers never gave up and pushed themselves to be the best that they could be on the court.
The A team was able to watch and learn from the B team, but the Broncos came out of the gate running and never slowed down. The first quarter was a good battle from both teams, and on both sides of the ball. The Lady Wranglers were aggressive and tried to make things happen driving in the paint to the bucket, but the tall and aggressive players from East were not letting much happen inside. The West defense did look better than last week and we played more aggressive overall, but the shots weren’t falling again and our rebounding wasn’t what it needed to be to compete against the Broncos. Jamyson High-Williams led the team offensively with 12 points, while Taliah Ellis and Hannah Polito led the team defensively with 6 rebounds each and 3 steals. Overall, a tough game at home for the Lady Wranglers, but a good learning experience for a fast paced and talented team.
The Lady Wranglers will be traveling to Timberview next week to take on the Hawks starting at 5 p.m.
