The #5 ranked Whiteface Lady Lopes hosted the Ropes Lady Eagles for a district basketball matchup this past Tuesday night, with the Lady Lopes winning, 60-37.
The win for the Lady Lopes marks their 18th straight, moving them to 22-2 overall and 3-0 in district play.
Defensively, they were able to force a bunch of Lady Eagle turnovers that led to easy transition points, and offensively, they executed an efficient half-court offense with great ball movement, both of which contributed to the double-digit win.
“Our girls played well last night in a hard-fought game,” Lady Lopes Head Basketball Coach Jason Blankenship said. “We had solid post play on offense and defense, and our guards did a good job of getting the ball to the open shooters. This is a very unselfish team, and they realize that wins come through great teamwork. That has really been the thing that has fueled our winning this year.”
Coach Blankenship also noted that his team has embraced the quote, “Sometimes you, sometimes me, but always US,” which his team has embodied, as a different player has carried the team in each game this season.
Against Ropes, it was Emily Blankenship doing the heavy lifting with 26 points powered by three threepointers made and making 3/4 free throw attempts.
Other scorers included Lainey Sanders with 14 points, Keyarah Castaneda with 10 points, Kambry Sanders with nine points and Gracyn Kauffman with two points.
On the Lady Eagles side of things, it was simply a tough night where they could never seem to fully get into a rhythm. They only trailed by eight after the first quarter, but they failed to keep it close as the game progressed.
They don’t have a single senior on varsity, so they’re bound to have these types of growing pains, which is something Lady Eagles Head Basketball Coach Marianne Wolfe has echoed several times this season.
That’s a high-level opponent and loss that they’ll learn and improve from as the season continues.
Scorers for the Lady Eagles in the loss included Brooklyn Hogg with 10 points, Rylie Lester with nine points, Ella Lehnen, Karli Rhoads and Annabelle Falls all with four points, and Kamdyn Matus and Zailyn Wylie both with three points.
Following the game, the Lady Eagles are now 15-8 overall and 3-1 in district play.