By William / www.mcpherson-county-ks.com
LYONS – It was not a pretty win, but the Smoky Valley girls were able to rally back in the final eight minutes of Tuesday’s road game at Lyons to bring home a two-point, 44-42 victory.
With the win, the Lady Vikings are now 12-4 for the season while prepping for a home game on Friday with Nickerson.
“Certainly not a pretty win, but nonetheless, it was a win,” noted Lady Viking head coach Jason Drouillard. “It took some serious grit to pull that one out at the end. Lyons shot particularly well, especially from three-point range. The girls played hard, but we’ve got to make it a point to play smarter, especially when calls aren’t in our favor.”
The Lady Vikings trailed Lyons by four, 15-11 by the end of the first quarter and by five at the halftime break. After pulling within three, 35-32 by the end of the third quarter, Smoky Valley out scored Lyons 12-7 in the final eight minutes to score the final two-point win.
While the Lady Vikings shot under 30% for the game, they did out rebound Lyons 38-24.
Breanna Priddy had another huge game as she recorded a double double with 15 points and 11 rebounds to go with a pair of defensive steals. Adrian Hazelwood also reached double digits in scoring with 14 before fouling out. Abby Rose grabbed six rebounds while both Hazelwood and Gracie Lambert each pulled down five.
Coach Drouillard concluded his game reflections by adding, “On a positive note, the girls continuously find ways to step up for each other and finish the job as a team. It’s a joy to coach the girls, and we as coaches are very proud of the team they have become.”
THE GAME 1 2 3 4 FINAL
LADY VIKINGS 11 8 13 12 44
Lyons 15 9 11 7 42
Lyons Team Stats: FG 12/39 (31%); 3-PTR 7/20 (35%); FT 11/13 (85%); AST 10; REBS 24; TO 17; STLS 8; BLK 3; PF 16.
LADY VIKINGS TEAM STATS: FG 13/44 (28%); 3-PTR 3/8 (38%); FT 15/24 (63%); AST 6; REBS 38; TO 17; STLS 9; BLK 2; PF 16.
LADY VIKINGS INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS: Scoring (44 total points): Breanna Priddy – 15; Adrian Hazelwood – 14; Abby Rose – 6; Keira Mullen – 5; Maliyah Koster – 2; Tinley Scott – 1; Karee Adam – 1. 3-Pointers Made (3): Hazelwood – 2; Rose – 1. Assists: Mullen, Koster – 2. Rebounds: Priddy – 11; Rose – 6; Hazelwood, Gracie Lambert – 5; Adam, Mullen – 2. Steals: Priddy, Rose, Lambert – 2. Blocked Shots: Rose, Lambert – 1.