Higher seeds prevail in 1A
By RANDY GONZALES
There is no substitute for experience at the state tournament. Argonia had it; Lincoln got it.
The Lincoln prep girls' basketball team, with just one senior and no state experience on the roster, was up against an Argonia team that experienced its own growing pains at state last year.
Argonia rolled past Lincoln 81-50 in Wednesday night's first round of the Class 1A State Championships in Gross Memorial Coliseum. Last year, it was Argonia that was blown out in the first round.
"Because we were here last year, it gave us some experience," Argonia coach Dixie Brewster said. "Last year, we said we could do it without experience. But I can tell you for sure it was a whole lot easier with the experience last year.
"We got beat by 22 by Centralia last year, and our kids, that is ingrained in their minds. They knew from Day One in practice that they didn't want the same thing to happen to us this year as what happened last," she added.
Lincoln (18-8) was hurt on the boards, getting outrebounded 50-31. Sophomore center Victoria Feldkamp battled for 11 rebounds for the Leopards, but it wasn't nearly enough.
The team's other center, freshman Jennifer Crist, added two rebounds.
"We're so young as a team," Lincoln coach Steve Crist said. "Our youngest part of our team is our post. My daughter is only a freshman, and she's not a big freshman by any means. I thought Victoria Feldkamp played a whale of a game inside there."
Freshman guard Jenna Farris has been Lincoln's leading scorer on the season by a wide margin, the only Leopard to average in double figures at 23.5 points per game. Farris, who scored 81 points in two sub-state games, finished with 28 points.
"We play team defense ..." Brewster said. "We felt like if we could hold her to 30 points that we could beat them, because we're going to score a lot of points."
Argonia (26-0) had four players score in double figures, led by 17 points apiece from senior Davi Peetoom and junior Ashton Stansbury. Stansbury grabbed 13 rebounds for a double-double, and the Raiders also got a double-double from junior Allison Brewster, who scored 14 points and hauled in 12 rebounds. Junior Brooke Boatright tossed in 16 points.
Last year, Lincoln won six games; this year, the Leopards went to state.
"I'm proud of these girls for everything they've done this year," Crist said.
South Gray 60
Wilson 55
Undefeated and No. 1 seed Montezuma-South Gray received a scare from No. 8 seed Wilson in the first round.
Wilson (17-9) went on a 13-3 run in the second quarter to lead 31-30 at halftime, bringing a smile and fist pump from Dragon co-coach Rod Seehafer going into the locker room.
"We played with the best team in the state that's been No. 1 ... " Seehafer said. "Every coach I talked to really didn't give us much of a chance at all. We just got after them, got after them."
The Rebels, who led by two points entering the fourth quarter, got 3-pointers from senior Brigit Hesser and junior Mikayla Skidmore early in the period, then got a three-point play from sophomore Hannah Thomas with 3:16 left for a six-point lead.
South Gray (26-0) held on from there to advance to today's semifinals. The Rebels got 24 points from Skidmore and 16 points and 13 rebounds from senior Kayla Thomas.
Senior Megan Zelenka led Wilson with 16 points, and sophomore Emily Beneda scored 13. Freshman Karlie Steinle added nine points and 10 rebounds.
Turnovers hurt Wilson. The Dragons turned the ball over 16 times to the Rebels' seven.
"Really not too bad outside the times they picked my guards' pockets, that's what hurt ..." Seehafer said. "They're just good at that, that is their thing."
Wilson knocked off a 22-2 Weskan team in the sub-state finals to get to state, then battled unbeaten South Gray to the end.
"Got to be so proud of this bunch of girls, peaked at the right time ..." Seehafer said.
St. John 43
Frankfort 32
St. John, the defending state champion, won with defense. The Tigers, who led 24-12 at halftime, forced 19 turnovers in the game with their full-court pressure.
St. John (25-1) outscored Frankfort 12-5 in the third quarter to lead 36-17.
Senior guard Brooke Burgan led St. John with 18 points and sophomore Teresa Wade did the damage inside, scoring 17 points.
Frankfort (23-3) got a double-double from senior Chelsea Keating, who scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Senior Kara Horigan, the team's second-leading scorer on the season at 13 points per game, hurt her knee driving to the basket on the first possession of the game and did not return.
St. Paul 50
Greeley Co. 35
St. Paul shot 54 percent from the floor in beating Tribune-Greeley County in the final game of the night.
The Indians led by two points at halftime, then outscored the Jackrabbits 10-3 in the third quarter, and held them to 10 points in the second half.
Junior Morgan Westhoff led St. Paul (25-0) with 20 points and nine rebounds. Senior Allison O'Brien added 13 points.
Senior Kelli Crittenden led the Jackrabbits with 10 points.
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In today's semifinals, the South Gray girls (26-0) were scheduled to play St. John (25-1) at 3 p.m., followed at 4:45 p.m. by the Quinter boys (26-0) and South Gray (25-1).
In the other girls' semifinal at 6:30 p.m., Argonia (26-0) will play St. Paul (25-0).
The 8:15 p.m. boys' semifinal has defending state champion Hanover (25-1) against Baileyville-B&B (23-3).