Below are the coaches' summaries of the WKLL JH Basketball tournament that was held last Thursday and Saturday.
Coach Lowry’s Comments –
The Northern Valley A-girls traveled to the new Colby Event Center for the play-in games of the Western Kansas Liberty League JH tournament. The girls came out strong with full court pressure to take a 22-14 lead. The girls fell off a little in the third quarter but picked up their intensity in the fourth for a 40-28 win. Audrey Bina led the team with 10 points and 15 rebounds followed by Kathryn Speer with 8 points. On Saturday, we traveled to Brewster with three other teams to finish the tournament. The girls took on Cheylin in an aggressive game but we could not contain the Cougars. Audrey Bina led the team with 6 points and 7 rebounds. The 16-40 loss put us in the third place playoff game. The Lady Huskies held their own in the first half, but unfortunately, the Thunderhawks pulled away in the third and fourth quarters as we struggled to get to the basket. Maria Rodriguez led the team with 6 points. The Lady Huskies ended their season in fourth place with an 8-7 record. We had a consistent seven players on A-team this year and each one worked hard to set goals and improve every week. I am proud of the effort they brought, the teamwork they shared, and the commitment they made to each other.
The Northern Valley B-girls traveled to Brewster for the Western Kansas Liberty League JH tournament. Each of the six players saw a lot of court time. We came out strong against the Cheylin Cougars to take an 8-4 lead. The girls continued to break their press and defensively hold the Cougars to a final score of 14-8. Trista Smith led the team with 6 points and 14 rebounds followed by Rene Horacek with 13 rebounds. In the second round of the tournament, the girls took on the Golden Plains Bulldogs. They fought hard through the press but struggled to get their shots to fall. We were not able to score in the third quarter, which put us behind. The girls lost 14-20 ending their season with an 8-4 record and 2nd place medals. Trista Smith led the team with 5 points. Throughout the season, the girls continued to push out of their comfort zone and take chances. I am extremely proud of what these girls learned and the character they showed through their teamwork and hustle.
Coach Cole’s Comments –
The Northern Valley Junior High A-team Boys competed in the Western Kansas Liberty League Tournament. In the first round the Huskies had no trouble defeating Heartland Christian 57-29. All five starters scored in the game, led by Gavin Thalheim with 22 points and Owen Hammond with 15. NV had an exciting seimi-final game defeating Golden Plains 42-31. The win avenged an early season loss to the Bulldogs. On offense the Huskies scored 10 or 11 points each quarter and their defense and rebounding improved with each quarter. Gavin Thalheim finished with 27 points to lead the team. In the finals the Huskies had another tight game, beating the Weskan Coyotes 46-38 to win the WKLL Tournament. The Huskies played a diamond and one defense. Lucas Hansen guarded Weskan’s best player and held him to 12 points in the game. Gavin Thalheim had another big game, scoring a season high 29 points and grabbing numerous rebounds. The Huskies finished the season with a 13-1 record. Congratulations to the A-team boys on a fantastic season and placing 1st in the WKLL Tournament!
The NVJH B-team boys competed in the Western Kansas Liberty League Tournament on Feb. 12, 2022 in Brewster. NV won their first round game beating the Triplains/Brewster Titans 31-11. Griffin McKinney led the Huskies in scoring with 13 points, followed by Wyatt Compton with 9. In the Finals the NV B-team boys won a close game with the Grinnell Thunderhawks 27-22. Griffin McKinney was again the high scorer with 8 points, followed by Maverick Rogers with 7 and Conner David with 6. The NV B-team boys ended their season with a 9-3 record. Congratulations to the NV B-team boys on winning the WKLL Tournament!