Lake Holcombe learning how to show toughness

By Ginna Young

It was a long week of games for the Lake Holcombe girls basketball program, as they went up against three strong opponents.

Dec. 5 vs. Luck non-conference (L 60-47)

First up up, was Luck on the road, which showed that the Chieftains can be dominant, but that it requires consistency througout the game. Lake Holcombe held a fivepoint lead at the end of the first half, but Luck came out of the break to outscore the Chieftains and take a 60-47 victory.

“It was a tough game, we played really well for stretches, we just need to put together a full game now,” said coach Chris Clark.

Leading for Lake Holcombe, was senior Emma Lechleitner, with 20 points, followed by freshman Payton Birkenholz, with 10, and junior Abby Jones, with 9. Freshman Maria Andres also got in the scorebook, with 4 points, while junior Chloe Lee and sophomore Savannah Burlingame each added 2 points.

Dec. 7 vs. Prairie Farm conference (L 64-54)

Two days later, it was off to Prairie Farm, in what the team knew would be a battle. The Panthers led over Lake Holcombe, going into halftime, up by a slim three-point margin. The Chieftains tried to catch up on the scoreboard, but the lead was just out of reach.

However, the results are encouraging moving forward, as the Panthers are a league-leader each year.

“Prairie Farm is a strong opponent and I think we showed we can play with just about anybody,” said Clark. “We fought hard and showed a lot of toughness on the court.”

Lechleitner again led for the Chieftains, with 29 points, while Jones scored 13 and Birkenholz had 7. Andres and freshman Katya Kuc each added 2 points, with Lee connecting on a free throw.

Dec. 11 vs. Gilman non-conference (W 55-52)

Finally, Gilman came to call on the Chieftains, in what would be a lockdown, dragout fight for the win. Lake Holcombe was in the lead by two at the break and the Pirates would not go quietly, matching the Chieftains point for point.

In the end, the Chieftains snuck by the Pirates, for a 5552 victory.

“We had a nice win yesterday against Gilman,” said Clark.

Lechleitner came up with a whopping 39 points on the night, followed by Jones, with 6, and Lee, who ended with 2 points. Birkenholz and sophomore Alexia Hoffner finished out the night with 2 points each.

“We had a couple players foul out, and ended up finishing out the game with Emma and all underclassman,” said Clark. “This is great experience for them to build on as the season progresses.”

Lake Holcombe now sits at 2-3 on the season, and 0-1 in conference action.