1/31/2012 10:02:50 AM
LVC Tourney continues in Dunning
In Dunning tonight, the LVC girls’ tournament will feature two games. First the #3 seed Mullen Lady Broncos play the #6 Litchfield Lady Trojans. The late game features #1 Sandhills/Thedford against #8 South Loup.
Mullen (14-5) vs. Litchfield (7-8)
You never know what to expect from Mullen or Litchfield. The Lady Broncos looked un-beatable at the beginning of January before an overtime loss to Sandhills/Thedford. Many of the games they won, they probably should have won, but they would probably like to have a couple of their losses back for a do-over. There is no shame in losing to Brady or North Platte St. Patrick’s but a second loss to Sandhills/Thedford and a loss to Twin Loup stings just a bit for Mullen. While they are 2-3 against LVC foes they should have a good opportunity tonight against Litchfield, but you never know.
Litchfield looks like they could be a dangerous team in the LVC Tournament. They’ve shown they can hang with Sandhills/Thedford and Ansley this season. In two games against the Lady Knights, they lost 47-45 and 43-39. Against Ansley, they nearly pulled off a dramatic come-back and fell 54-49. They’ve played a good mix of competition this season and always seem to keep the games interesting. They beat a strong Elba/North Loup-Scotia team also but haven’t been able to get some of the close games to go in their favor. They’ve only had three double-digit losses this season. They have a strong core of young talent led by junior Taylor Pickar. They also have some outstanding freshman talent in Lindsey Siegel and Shawna Paitz. Kaitlin Kratzer is another young player who can score on the court. Although a number six seed, Litchfield might be one of the best teams in the tournament.
Sandhills/Thedford (14-3) vs. South Loup (2-12)
The Lady Knights enter the tournament as the number one overall seed. They have certainly earned it with their play. Losses to Brady, North Platte St. Patrick’s and Ansley are nothing to be ashamed of. They have also virtually owned the LVC this season. They are 8-1 against conference opponents and have played more games against the LVC than any other team. Their offense and defense runs through Shelby Saner. Her presence underneath the basket allows her to crash the boards and allow multiple offensive opportunities for the Lady Knights. They also get good play around the basket and on the perimeter from Kaitlin and Taylor Marten. Michaela Miles is another good offensive player and Sarah Miles could easily be the best sixth-man off the bench in the LVC.
South Loup doesn’t match-up well with Sandhills/Thedford. They have some good young talent in Shayla Dockweiler and Jordan Rush, both freshmen. It hasn’t come together yet for the Lady Bobcats, but they will be a team that will likely be a force later on down the road in the LVC. In their previous meeting Sandhills/Thedford outscored South Loup 35-10 in the first half. South Loup can’t afford to play from behind. They need to protect the ball and possess the ball against this high scoring Lady Knights attack that will likely pressure South Loup with their smothering full court defense.
