Lady Eagles fall in title game
DALTON VITT/DAILY FORUM
Jefferson senior guard Brooklyn Stoll lays the ball off the glass for a layup Saturday during the Eagles’ 59-32 loss in the North Platte Invitational championship to the host Panthers.
Behind a string of three-pointers from various offensive weapons, the North Platte girls’ basketball team took the title in its home tournament Saturday with a 59-32 win over Jefferson — topping the Lady Eagles for the second-straight season.
The Panthers used 19 points from senior forward Chelsi Sams as well as timely three-pointers from a variety of guards to catapult themselves to the championship-clinching victory.
Even with Jefferson forcing the occasional turnover against an aggressive North Platte offense, the Panthers hit their stride early with an 8-0 run to take a 12-3 lead in the first quarter.
The burst, which included a pair of three-pointers from senior guard Courtney Kipping, quickly turned momentum to the North Platte side.
“They scored 19 in the first, but they also scored 17 in the third,” Jefferson head coach Tyler Pedersen said. “When they’re knocking down shots from the perimeter, they’re hard to guard. Their ball movement is exceptional — they get that ball moving until they get it penetrated, then they usually step into a high-percentage shot.”
Offensive efficiency continued throughout the quarter and first half for the Panthers, as freshman guard Gracie Roach nailed a buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the opening frame at 19-8 in North Platte’s advantage.
“That’s great offense and it doesn’t matter what kind of defense you play,” Pedersen said. “You get that good of ball movement, you’re going to end up with a high-percentage shot.”
With a 7-0 run to start the second period, which began with a three-pointer from junior guard Erin Manville, the Panthers stretched things to 26-8. Jefferson sophomore guard Sarah Chor ended the streak by hitting one of her two free throw attempts with 3:38 left until halftime.
By the break, North Platte held a 29-13 lead behind six points apiece from Sams, Kipping and Roach.
With 2:15 left in the third quarter, Kipping hit a dagger three-pointer from the left wing, extending the Panther lead to 46-22.
A chunk of the offensive woes for Jefferson stemmed from the Panthers’ trapping defense that limited easy post-entries to junior center Jessie Henry.
“Part of it was just all the pressure they had on the basketball and the physicality,” Pedersen said. “They had a lot of pressure up front and it was just hard to handle. They put good size and good length on the floor, good athleticism so it just makes it difficult.”
In the fourth quarter, North Platte tallied six consecutive points to start the final period, stretching its lead to 52-26, before Chor hit a run-stopping free throw for the Eagles. However, improved efforts in the third and fourth quarters weren’t enough to bring Jefferson from behind.
Sams led all scorers with her 19-point outing, while Henry found a way to tally 12 against the tough Panther defense.
The Eagles (17-2) return to play at 6 p.m. Tuesday against North Harrison at home.
DALTON VITT/DAILY FORUM
Eagles sophomore guard Kelsi McQuinn leaps to release a shot over a North Platte defender during Jefferson’s 59-32 loss Saturday in the North Platte Invitational championship.
DALTON VITT/DAILY FORUM
Sophomore guard Sarah Chor is fouled before firing up a shot after the whistle Saturday during Jefferson’s 59-32 loss in the North Platte Invitational championship to the host Panthers.
DALTON VITT/DAILY FORUM
Jefferson junior center Jessie Henry has her shot denied underneath the basket during the North Platte Invitational championship Saturday. Jefferson fell, 59-32, to the host Panthers for its second loss of the season.
