Nearing the end of their season, Saratoga’s Lady Panthers took in two conference losses last weekend against Pine Bluffs and Southeast.
Saratoga now has a 6-13 overall record, and the team has not won a conference game yet. Friday was when Saratoga received the 31-65 sting from the Lady Hornets.
“Very simple, they played very well and we did not,” said head coach Matt Love. “We played hard though, just couldn’t get any shots to drop and we got in early foul trouble, then it got ugly. It seemed like they didn’t miss very many shots, they played very well.
Love said the junior varsity Lady Panthers also lost 24-35.
“This was a great improvement from the first time we played them,” he said. “They beat us by 30 or more the first time we played them and they scored over 60 points. Our JV girls played very well Friday night.”
Because of inclement weather, the Lady Panthers played their game against Southeast at Laramie High School. Love said it was hard to play a game that was originally scheduled for Saratoga’s home court.
“We had to play in the auxiliary gym at the Laramie High School, as both teams were snowed in due to weather from the night before,” Love said. “This was a great disadvantage for us, as this was supposed to be a ‘home’ game for us, and at the beginning of our game, two-thirds of the stands were Southeast fans and we didn’t have one fan on our side. We were even the ‘Visitors’ team on the score board, and we thought that was quite comical as it totally fit the day. About halftime, we did have a few fans from others that were also snowed in, and even had a few college students show up.”
Love said Southeast has a very good girls’ team, complete with strong posts, but that his girls put up a good defensive fight.
“If their guards are hitting, you’re in trouble,” he said. “We packed our defense in and gambled, figuring if they’re going to beat us, they’re going to have to do it from the outside. Their guards were hitting in the first half, and we trailed in the middle of the third quarter by 27. Our girls kept working hard and their guards stopped hitting, and their posts were getting frustrated.”
Love also said the Lady Tigers came within 11 points in the middle of the fourth quarter, and although they outscored Southeast in the second half, they still lost 32-46. Even with the 14-point loss, Love said he proud to get that close in score to the Lady Cyclones.
“This was probably the closest we’ve ever played Southeast as they are always a strong team,” he said. “The first time we played them they had three post players in double figures, combining for 34 points, and Saturday those same three post players combined for six points. Our girls did what I asked, and at least they didn’t beat us from the inside.”
Love added that he couldn’t have been prouder of his girls for their effort Saturday.
“After coming off of a humiliating loss from the night before; wearing the same clothes from the day before from getting snowed in; not getting much sleep at all; and having to adapt to an unfamiliar situation that was greatly to our disadvantage, especially when we were suppose to be the ‘home’ team; our girls bucked up and took it head on,” he said. “I’m very proud of them for coming back, after being way down and losing to the fourth place 2A team in state by only 14 points. Hopefully, this game will gain us some confidence for this weekend, as we have two very tough conference games. A lot of people don’t understand that just making it out of our conference to get to regionals is a feat in itself.”
With the season winding down, Love said the girls now need to be well-prepared for their two upcoming home conference games. The girls play at 3 p.m. Friday against Lusk, and at 4 p.m. Saturday against Burns.
“These last two conference games our huge for us, as we fight for home court advantage for the play-in game to see if we even can get to regionals,” Love said. “We will hopefully have most of our girls back by this weekend, as we’re working our way through some injuries also. Veronica Lincoln is, of course, out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL, and she had surgery last week and is doing well. Mati Love is out with a concussion, but hopes to slowly start getting back into action this weekend.”
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