Lady Cats basketball team has tough night in Lander

The Hot Springs County High School Lady Cats basketball team opened their new season against Class 3A Lander last Friday. In a game where neither team looked to be in regular season form, the Lady Cats were never in contention on the scoreboard and were defeated by a score of 54 to 27.

The Lady Cats are a young team, with just two seniors, Hanna Hill and Austin Slagle. Three juniors, Jayssie Owsley, Kamryn Farrell and Charlee Slagle are joined by two sophomores, Chloee Owsley and Morgan Jones. Two freshman made the varsity team to start the season, Ann Allen and Logann Farrell.

It is early in the season, and the Lady Cats have not had the benefit of a great deal of practice before the season gets under way, however, the team played with a lot of room to grow. Passing was off the mark, shooting was off, and ball control was equally a challenge - all of which led to a string of 12 turnovers in the first quarter, alone.

Offensively, the team did not put up their first points of the game, until Austin Slagle sank a free-throw with just 1:26 left in the first quarter. Defensively, the team was quickly in foul trouble, and with a short bench, too many fouls can really create a challenge to all facets of the game. Troublingly, the team continues to show that they are not able to overcome a heavy press – a deficiency which caused far too many turnovers last year.

On the plus side, however, even while being outplayed by Lander, the Lady Cats never gave up, and continued to battle until the final buzzer. Indeed, Chloee Owsley affected an impressive steel in the final seconds of the game.

Moreover, there were highlights in the game, which the team can certainly build upon. For example, the team’s skills clearly improved as the game progressed, which shows the team is committed to improve their play. Similarly, three-point shots were drained by Charlee Slagle and Hanna Hill, demonstrating that shooting can get better.

Still, it is important to be mindful that it is extremely early in the year, and the Lady Cats have a level of skill they can improve upon, which leaves lots of opportunity for the team to have a successful season.

The Lady Cats will join the Bobcats in competing in the Flaming Gorge Tournament this weekend in Green River.