Senior, Eva Wagoner (23) shoots to score for the Pioneers against the Sunburst Refiners.
Sophomore, Eva Yeadon (20) moving the ball down court. The Pioneers take the win 65-39.
Friday afternoon was an excellent time for the Lady Pioneers, winning 61-28, to work on the little things as a team. The girls came out with a strong press, making the Valier Panthers struggle to get the ball down the court and set up an offense. The Lady Pioneers had great ball pressure with high hands, making the Lady Panthers make quick decisions, leading to several turnovers that Big Sandy capitalized on. Jai Baumann had some great fast-break layups from the Valier turnovers in the backcourt. Eva Yeadon also had some significant cuts in the middle of the key to break down Valiers' defense. Big Sandy had so many great opportunities and looks at the basket. The Lady Pioneers had excellent ball movement from the middle cutter back to the wing for some wide-open 3-pointers. The girls showed true grit with their great hustle and tenacity from all players when they subbed in.
The Lady Pioneers turned around and played again on Saturday against a more challenging team in the Lady North Toole/Sunburst Refiners. Big Sandy still won 65-39. The girls were blazing with their full-court press and tenacious half-court defense. Eva Wagoner knocked down a 3-pointer to get the Lady Pioneers rolling. The girls had great ball movement offensively, with several drives to the paint and kickbacks to the wings. They broke down the Refiners' defense and had several great looks at the basket.
The Lady Refiners made a great effort at the end of the 1st quarter, making it challenging for the Lady Pioneers, but they still went into the 2nd quarter ahead. Plagued with some fouls early, the Lady Pioneers allowed the Lady Refiners to stay close. North Toole showed some grit with scrappy defense and hustle, making the Lady Pioneers work to get buckets. Jai Baumann, Eva Wagoner, and Eva Yeadon had a great 2nd quarter. Their defense, rebounding, shooting, and fast breaks were too much for North Toole, and the Lady Pioneers went in at halftime with the lead.
Travis Baumann said, "On Friday, we played fast, aggressively, and as a team. Everyone got in the game and made contributions! On Saturday, we came out fast, 9-0; then we got lax on both ends for the rest of the half. The girls came out hard in the second half, and better ran the offense and defense. They played with a fit of fire in the third quarter and put in 22 points. Everyone who was eligible to get in the game played on Saturday. It was nice to see them bounce back after not playing up to their potential in the first half. We have a tough three-game stretch coming up this week, with Fort Benton on Tuesday, Chinook, and Friday, and we go to Hays on Saturday."
