Hornets top Indians, falter in Loyal
The Colby Hornets girls basketball team took on a pair of Eastern Cloverbelt rivals in back to back road games on Friday and Tuesday. Colby split the games, weathering an improved Greenwood squad on Friday, but falling by just two points to Loyal on Tuesday.
51-49
The Hornets took on the Loyal Greyhounds for the second time this season, this time playing visitors. As in their first meeting, each team traded blows in a game that was decided by single digits.
The Greyhounds boast a well-rounded team full of talented shooters, but it was Colby who had the better night from the floor, dropping more threes and two point field goals than their hosts.
The only thing that separated the Hornets and Greyhounds, the only thing that would prove the decider, was who had the steadier hand at the charity stripe.
It was the Greyhounds who had that answer, as they enjoyed an almost perfect night from the free throw line, converting 22 of 24 attempts.
The Hornets on the other hand faltered at the line, with just six out of 13 free throws finding their mark. Even with troubles at the charity stripe, neither side could seemingly gain the upper hand for any extended period of time.
In the first frame it was Emma Peavey who paced the Hornets, scoring half of Colby’s 22 first half points. Hailey Voelker added four and Lexi Krebsbach hit a trey, but the Hornets found themselves down 24-22 at the break.
Peavey’s heady play continued into the second half, with the athletic junior scoring multiple times. She was aided by Krebsbach, who hunted and found her shot as the sharp-shooting senior scored 13 points in the last stanza.
It was nearly enough, as the game went back and forth. But the Greyhounds sunk all but one free throw in the second half.
All told, Loyal scored 13 of their 27 second half points from the charity stripe. Colby missed four free throws in the final half, and only three players added more than one basket as Colby matched Loyal with 27 points in the second half.
The Greyhounds did just enough to escape with the win, sweeping the Hornets as Loyal stays in second in the conference while Colby falls to 11-6 and 9-4.
Peavey and Krebsbach each scored 16 points to lead Colby. Voelker was also in double digits with 11. Trista Meyer notched four points, and Kersten Wiese added two.
The Hornets will look to regroup in Neillsville on Thursday. The Warriors have just one conference loss, but Colby is hoping to make it two. Tip-off will be at 7:15 p.m.
57-46
The Colby Hornets girls basketball team saw the return of a familiar face as Lexi Underwood was welcomed back to the line-up on Friday.
Her arrival came at the perfect time, as her defensive presence allowed the Hornets to overcome a sluggish start.
With Colby still out of sorts after falling at home to Gilman three nights before, the Hornets needed both halves to take out the Indians (3-13, 1-10 ECC) on the road.
That was in stark contrast to their first meeting, when Colby put the game to bed with a 42-17 first half out-pouring. The Hornets would go on to win that Nov. 22 match-up 69-38.
Two months later and Colby found itself struggling against an improved Greenwood squad. Hailey Voelker poured in ten points in the first half, but the rest of the team could not find its shot, with Olivia Vollrath the only other Hornet to score more than one field goal.
What Colby lacked on offense in the first half, they made up for in defense, giving up just 18 points in the first stanza, taking a slim 20-18 lead into halftime.
Whatever funk was there in the first half came off in the second half as Colby scored inside and outside, with five different Hornets dropping in multiple buckets.
Vollrath continued to do a bit of everything - steal, scoring and passing - as she added another eight points to lead Colby with a game high 18.
Disaster seemingly struck when Voelker got into foul trouble. But the Hornets are resilient, and have been in this situation before and knew what to do. Colby has proven time and time again they are not a one-trick pony, and with Voelker out, Emma Peavey and Lexi Krebsbach answered the call.
Krebsbach, scoreless in the first half, was nearly automatic from the charity stripe, going five of seven on free throws down the stretch. Kresbach scored all nine of her points in the second frame, and with she and Peavey, scoring in bunches, Colby began to slowly edge past the Indians.
Greenwood’s Amanda Bodogonovich attempted to stop this, scoring 12 of her team high 18 points in the final half. But Bogdonovich would be the only Indian in double figures.
Meanwhile, Vollrath, Trista Meyer and Kersten Wiese all added timely baskets as Colby out-paced their conference rivals 37-28 in the second half, defeating the Indians for the second time this year.
Voelker added a team high eight rebounds and six steals. Peavey scored 11 points and had six rebounds.
Krebscbach’s nine points were joined by two assists and five boards. Vollrath had one of her best games, scoring eight points and crashing the glass for eight rebounds - three of them offensive boards.
Meyer recorded six points, Wiese had four points and Underwood, still easing back into full strength, added one point.
