Lady Cats have up and down moments

The Hot Springs County High School Girls Varsity Basketball Team went one for three in the 3A West Regional Tournament held in Thermopolis last week. The Lady Cats finished the regular season in 3rd place, with a record of 2 and 4 in the division and 5 and 15 overall.

In a game that was not dissimilar to the game played by the boys team that day, the Lady Cats had a tough time against their opponent on Thursday. The Mountain View Lady Buffaloes held Thermopolis down on the scoreboard throughout the game, and came away with a 50 to 29 win against the Lady Cats.

Dazlynn Hunt had 3 points, Kamryn Farrell 5, Jayssie Owsley 12, Hanna Hill 6 and Austin Slagle 3. Three-point shots were made by Dazlynn Hunt, Jayssie Owsley (2) and Hanna Hill (2).

On Friday, the Lady Cats were up against the Lander Lady Tigers, and played, perhaps, the most all around game they have played all season. At times in the season, the Lady Cats have shown their ability to play high quality basketball, but until Friday, they had not shown they could put it all together for an entire game. With good execution in all phases of the game, the Lady Cats defeated Lander by a score of 37 to 32.

The Lady Cats made known they had acquired the skills to overcome the heavy press, which teams had continuously deployed against them all year, and that skill, clearly, frustrated the Lady Tigers. Dazlynn Hunt continued to demonstrate the kind of hustle she has brought to the team all year, and generated a number of turnovers with her always quick hands on defense.

Kamryn Farrell had 6 points; Jayssie Owsley 12, Ina King 1, Hanna Hill 10, Davdine King 2 and Austin Slagle 6 points. Jayssie Owsley had three three-point shots.

On Saturday, the Lady Cats were defeated by the Lyman Lady Eagles, by a score of 40 to 29. The game amounted to a return to the inconsistent play by the Lady Cats, and was disappointing after the great win against Lander. The team found themselves down after the first quarter, and were never able to pull even - despite a reprise of their superb play of the day before in the third-quarter.

Dazlynn Hunt 2 points, Chloee Owsley 3, Maggie Landon 2, Kamryn Farrell1, Jayssie Owsley 6, Hanna Hill 12 and Austin Slagle 3 points. Hanna Hill had two three-point shots, and Chloee Owsley and Jayssie Owsley each had one.

Reflecting upon the end of the season, Coach Tyler Weinberger commented, "I thought we were within a couple of buckets of extending our season. The girls put on a tenacious defense in all three of the games, and frustrated their opponents offense. The girls were dedicated to the season from the start, and never wavered. I am really proud of the effort they showed all season long."

Looking to next season, coach said, "It will be hard to see our seniors move on. Maggie Landon was a huge core of our character this year, and provided a great deal of leadership to the team. Dazlynn Hunt played some huge minutes for the team, and so did Ina King. We have some good players returning next season, and while there are always things a team can do to improve, the returning team has a lot of potential, and I expect good things to happen next year."