Cornell playing their best to win over Lake Holcombe

Cornell junior Lauren Samardzich made sure her Lake Holcombe opponent had no where to go under the basket on her home court Feb. 10. Photo by Ginna Young

By Ginna Young

Hitting the court in a rivalry game, conference foes Cornell and Lake Holcombe met Feb. 10, on Cornell’s court.

“The girls played one of the best games they have played all season,” said Cornell coach Courtney Yanko. “They shared the ball well, with almost everyone scoring.”

The Chiefs took a 17-point lead into halftime, but by the second half, Lake Holcombe had stepped it up to try to close the gap.

“We have been dealing with some injuries, that makes our short bench even shorter,” said Lake Holcombe assistant coach J.D. Kirkman.

The Chieftains never gave up, but with Cornell’s large lead from the first half to sustain them, they earned the win, 65-47.

“The girls have done a great job filling in the gaps and making the best of a bad situation,” said Kirkman. “There are going to be some adjustments, unfortunately, we’re late in the season and learning to adjust is that much harder.”

On Lake Holcombe’s side, senior Karly Kirkman led with 19 points, followed by senior Justine Kane, with 17, and sophomore Abby Jones, who had 8. Senior Belle Jones added 2 points to the mix and sophomore Chloe Lee chipped in with a point.

“We’re very proud of the effort our players showed,” said J.D. Kirkman.

Leading for Cornell, was senior Kelsea Popp, who came up with 21 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Sophomore Bralee Schroeder came next, with 16 points, 2 assists and a steal, while junior Lauren Samardzich ended with 14 points, 2 rebounds and a block.

Junior Makya Hetherington added 6 points, as well as 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals, while junior Marcella Boehm had 3 points and 4 assists, and junior Grace Harycki finished with 2 points, 2 rebounds and an assist. Junior Teryn Close also added 2 points, as well as a rebound, and sophomore Alyssa Bowe shot a free throw, notching 2 assists.

Overall, the team had 15 assists on the night.

“The girls moved the ball and were taking good shots from every area of the floor,” said Yanko. “Defensively, they were working as a team, as well, putting up seven steals on the night. The girls’ confidence continues to grow every single game and we are excited for the last two games of the season, heading into Regionals.”

[caption id="attachment_168949" align="alignnone" width="300"] Lake Holcombe freshman Megan Paff looks to see which of her teammates is open Feb. 10, as they went up against Cornell in a road game. Photo by Ginna Young[/caption]