By Staff

            MCPHERSON – The McPherson Middle School eighth-grade girls basketball team a pair of wins for the ‘A’ team and a win with a loss for the ‘B’ team during a road trip to Goddard Eisenhower on Tuesday and hosting Newton Chisholm on Thursday.

On the road Tuesday, the eighth grade ‘A’ team blasted Goddard Eisenhower, winning by 46, 54-8 while the ‘B’ team also scored a 17-8 win.

Hosting Newton Chisholm on Thursday, the ‘A’ team earned another lopsided advantage with a 48-5 victory while the ‘B’ team took a loss at 5-14.

Up next week for the eighth-grade Junior Lady Pups will be a road trip to Salina South on Tuesday followed by a home battle with Hutchinson on Thursday.

            Here is a summary of the games:

TUESDAY > 8th Grade JUNIOR LADY PUPS at Goddard Eisenhower

            At Goddard Eisenhower it was all McPherson in their 46-point, 54-8 ‘A’ team win as three Junior Lady Pups scored in double digits including Rylie Whitfield with 19, Jaela Thompson having 17 and Piper Alvord chipping in with 11.

            “The girls played a great game this evening,” noted eighth-grad head coach Heidi Ricke. “Our defensive effort was top notch and the girls executed out offense well. Rylie (Whitfield) had a great game for us as she led the team in both points scored and steals. I am so proud of how the girls handled our press and was able to get some quick easy shots. Piper (Alvord) shot outstanding from the three-point range. It was real good team win and just an overall really fun game to be a part of.”

            The eighth grade ‘B’ team also scored a solid win at 17-8. A balanced scoring attack led the Junior Lady Pups as Sara Diaz, Molly Owen, and Rylee Holt all scored four points.

            Concluding her reflections on the games at Goddard and the ‘B’ team, coach Ricke added, “The girls showed a lot of improvement this evening. Coach Stalnaker and I were really impressed with how the girls executed their set plays. They showed a lot of patience in running the plays which is represented by the breakdown of scoring.”

“A” Team Scoring:

JUNIOR LADY PUPS 54 Goddard Eisenhower 8

Individual Leaders: Rylie Whitfield – 19 pts; Jaela Thompson – 17 pts; Piper Alvord – 11 pts; Brynn LittleJohn – 6 pts; Carmin Pavlovich – 1 pt.

“B” Team Scoring:

JUNIOR LADY PUPS 17 Goddard Eisenhower 8

Individual Leaders: Sara Diaz – 4 pts; Molly Owen – 4 pts; Rylee Holt – 4 pts; Ari Prose – 3 pts; Riley Clemmons – 2 pts.

THURSDAY > 8th Grade JUNIOR LADY PUPS hosting Newton Chisholm

            Being at home on Thursday, the eighth-grade Junior Lady Pups put on a show for the home folks with a 48-5 thumping of Newton Chisholm in the ‘A’ game.

            Jaela Thompson led the team in scoring with 25 points while Brynn LittleJohn just missed double digits with nine and Rylie Whitfield scored seven. Both Thompson and Piper Alvord made seven steals while Carmin Pavlovich had six.

            “These girls are such a fun group to watch and coach as they came out ready to play,” said coach Ricke. “Jaela (Thompson) had another outstanding game. The girls’ defense was outstanding this evening by allowing just five points and coming up with 24 steals while committing only three fouls the entire first half. Offensively the girls showed a major improvement with their ball handling only turning the ball over four times the entire game. The hard work on free throws by the girls at practice showed as they shot 75% from the line.”

            The eighth grade ‘B’ team lost 5-14 to Newton Chisholm in a game that only played out in two quarters.

            Molly Owen led the Junior Lady Pups with four points while MacKaylie Woltje grabbed five rebounds.

            Finishing up her remarks on the Thursday games, coach Ricke pointed out, “The girls showed a lot of heart and played hard although we came up short in the end. We found out right before game time that it was only going to be a two-quarter game, which was disappointing because the girls have worked really hard this past week at practice. The girls executed their offensive sets well though their shots would just not drop. Molly (Owen) and Rylee (Holt) both played really well tonight, but there is jut no stat for hustle and defensive effort. The girls have a lot to be proud of and to build on for next week.”

“A” Team Scoring:

JUNIOR LADY PUPS 48 Newton-Chisholm 5

Individual Leaders: Jaela Thompson – 25 pts, 3 rebs, 7 stls; Brynn LittleJohn – 9 pts, 3 rebs, 2 stls, 1 ast; Rylie Whitfield – 7 pts, 6 stls, 1 ast; Carmin Pavlovich – 4 pts, 1 reb, 6 stls, 2 ast; Piper Alvord – 3 pts, 2 rebs, 7 stls, 3 ast; Molly Owen – 1 stl, 1 ast.

“B” Team Scoring:

Newton-Chisholm 14 JUNIOR LADY PUPS 5

Individual Leaders: Molly Owen – 4 pts, 1 reb, 2 steals; MacKaylie Woltje – 1 pt, 5 rebs, 1 steal; Amia Barrera-Prado – 2 rebs; Rylee Holt – 3 rebs, 2 steals.

(The Staff covering McPherson County Activities can be reached by email at crossdovewriter@gmail.com)