Hornets win final conference games
The Colby Hornets won their final Eastern Cloverbelt games of the season, defeating the Spencer Rockets on Friday and the Granton Bulldogs on Monday, both at home. Colby followed that up with a narrow loss to the Marathon Red Raiders on Tuesday to move to 13-8.
59-46
Colby saw a 20 point lead dwindle to five in the waning minutes of their game with the Spencer Rockets. Colby was able to right the ship just in time, and the game served as a quick reminder that on any given night, one Cloverbelt team can knock off another.
The Hornets started the night with a bang, taking a 21-6 lead with 7:26 to play in the first half. That lead increased to 26-8 with 4:41 in the game. There was even more cause for Colby fans to cheer when Hailey Voelker scored a basket to give her 1,000 points for her career.
The Rockets found life on offense late in the first period, but Colby held a 36-16 lead at the end of the first period.
That brief spurt at the end of the first half carried over into the second half, and the Rockets steadily chipped away at Colby’s lead, pulling to within 40-35 off a 19-4 run before Colby head coach Randy Rau inserted Voelker back into the game. With Voelker acting as floor general. Colby snapped off 17 points in the final five minutes to prevail 59-46.
Emma Peavey and Voelker scored 19 points apiece. Olivia Vollrath added six points. Lexi Underwood scored five points, and cleaned the glass for a team high 10 rebounds. Lexi Krebsbach scored five points, Trista Meyer tallied three and Kersten Wiese finished with two points.
65-22
The Hornets won their final Eastern Cloverbelt contest of the season on Monday, taming the Granton Bulldogs.
Colby had a sluggish start on offense and defense, and only held a 27-15 lead heading into the second half. After a quiet first half though, the Hornets erupted in the second.
Colby’s intensity on both sides of the ball reached dizzying levels, and the Hornets rattled off 38 points in the final frame. The defense was equally as impressive, with Colby holding Granton to just seven points. The victory gives Colby an 11-5 record in league play, and a two way tie for third with Gilman.
Hailey Voelker scored 18 points. Lexi Underwood was in double digits for the
COLBY GB first time since Jan. 3, adding 14 points.
Lexi Krebsbach had eight, Brooke Suckow had seven and Olivia Vollrath and Brett Schmitt had six apiece. Emma Peavey added four, and Trista Meyer scored two points.
Marathon, 77-76
The Hornets went toe-to-toe with the Marathon Red Raiders on Tuesday night in a non-conference meeting.
The game held great significance as Colby could potentially face Marathon late in the playoffs this year. With that serving as motivation, Colby took an early 34-27 lead into the locker room.
But the Red Raiders were playing at home, and knew the implications to Tuesday’s game, and mounted a comeback, with Kylie Blume scoring a game high 26 points on Colby.
The Hornets’ defense, so stingy in the first half, struggled to contain the Red Raiders starting five - who all had double digits.
Colby responded with its own offensive barrage, with four players in double figures, but Marathon held on for dear life to secure a one point decision.
Hailey Voelker scored a team high 25 points, followed by Emma Peavey with 19. Lexi Underwood had 12 and Olivia Vollrath scored 10. Trista Meyer and Lexi Krebsbach had five points apiece.
Colby will take on McDonell Central Catholic in the Cloverbelt Crossover on Thursday. Tip off is at 7:30 p.m.
