The Buffalo gals commenced the year wandering away to Parowan to butt horns with the 2A Rams on Tuesday, January 2. Unfortunately, the hosts were unable to muster a JV squad, sadly signalling a death knell to the future of the school’s developmental program, evidenced by an inexperienced 12-member bench in which, that aside from their team leader’s 19-point night, no other player scored more than six in their 68-42 loss.
In the Valley ramrod win, Kimber Reeve reveled in her own 19 scores [seven deuces - one triple - eight free throw attempts - making two]. Andee Anderson added-up 13 [4-0-6-5], Maddie Cox made-up 12 [3-1-3-3], Lydia Cox lit-up seven [1-0-8-5], Rachel Cox racked-up seven [1-1- 5-2], Lindsey Franklin lined-up six [3-0-0- 0], while both McKaydee Bauer and Tess Roundy rounded-it-up by tossing-up twos [1- 0-0-].
After the game, Head Coach Dustin Cox addressed his team’s performance. “Pretty good. Sickness is getting us. We’ve got two girls that are sick [Teagen Roundy, Jane Jennings; and then, Emma Cox waiting to see on her ankle)] not here, who really coulda helped us. But our bench did really good. Kim did really good: Kim had 19. She was just dominant in there. Rachel did really good seeing her, feeding her [and] Lindsey: seeing her, feeding her. Maddie did great coming off of a sickness, and all of us had been sick: coaching staff, the athletes. It’s tough; but they played hard and they played good. But they played together!“
“We had a little slump in the second quarter, but we came out swinging the third quarter. And we kept it going the third and fourth quarter. Pulled it together real good! So, keeping our bodies healthy, working together as a team. And our foul shots: over 50 percent, still not very good basketball standards, but better than we’ve been.”
Thursday found them in faraway Wayne County where they got Badgered by scoring 51 points apiece in their JV, as well as Varsity losses. With JVs, it was 61-51 and the Varsity’s, 59-51. In the former, Andee paced with 12 [3-1-6- 3]; Tess,10 [4-0-3-2]; Rachel, nine [3-3-2-1]; Maddie, seven [3-0-2- 1]; Lindsey, four [2-0- 0-0]; McKaydee, four [1-0-4-2]; Jane, three [0-1-0-0] and Teagan, two [1-0-2-0]. In the latter, Kim tallied 14 [6-0-3-2]; Rachel, 13 [2-1-10-6]; Tess, nine [2-1-0-0]; Andee, seven [3-0-2-1]; Lindsey, 5 [1-0-4-3]; Lydia, two [1-0-1-1] and Maddie, one [0-0-2-1].
That weekend’s safari saw them continue tenting there for Wayne’s Sophomore Tournament, in which they breathtakingly blazed a thriller versus the Milford Tigers, 40- 38, behind Andee’s 14 [6-0-8-2] and Maddie’s 13 [2-3-2-0]. Friday finished with a loss to their host, 52-44, featuring Andee’s 21 scores [8-1-4-2]. Next day’s action had them besting Bryce Valley, 68-39, with Andee’s 20 [5-3-1-1] and Maddie’s 17 [3-3-2-2] before being milled by the vengeance-minded Tigers, 51-27, as Maddie’s high-pointed 11. Summing things, Coach Dustin said, “Sophomore tournament was great. Girls played tough. We had some sickness, but did a really good one at a buzzer-beater against Milford. Put Emma in for just a few seconds to throw the ball full court with 1.3 seconds left in the game and Andee laid it in at the buzzer for the win.”
After losing to Wayne, they out-muscled the Mustangs, as he continues, “Then lost to Milford in the second-go-round. It was a true double elimination. Was a great tournament! [The] girls played good. Andee Anderson really led out and performed good: great leader, and great mindset, and competitive.” On Friday, January 12, they travel to Panguitch.
