There just wasn’t enough fuel in the tank for the Wright City girls basketball team, as it succumbed to the fast-paced tempo of Saturday’s opening round matchup in the Class 3 District 8 …
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There just wasn’t enough fuel in the tank for the Wright City girls basketball team, as it succumbed to the fast-paced tempo of Saturday’s opening round matchup in the Class 3 District 8 Tournament.
The Wildcats fell 56-44 against the same Bowling Green team they had taken down to the wire in a one-point defeat earlier in the season.
“It wasn’t for lack of effort,” said Coach Dan Friedel. “We kind of ran out of gas. They pressed us, and we got tired.”
Bowling Green was able to pull away in the second half, as fatigue set in for the Wildcats.
“Our shots weren’t falling as much, and we had some turnovers,” said Friedel. “We didn’t execute as well in the second half, and a lot of it were our legs wore out.”
Freshman Jasmine Simpson provided hope for the future, netting a game-high 19 points in the setback.
Wright City traded baskets with the Bobcats during the first quarter, notched at 14-14 after a period of play.
“We played really hard the whole game, but the first half we were able to keep up,” said Friedel. “Early on, we did a good job of making them earn it.”
The Wildcats had balanced contribution in the first half, with Simpson being a consistent presence. She kept her team close, with Wright City trailing just 28-26 at the break.
“The first half was up and down, as they wanted to play faster,” said Friedel. “We played hard and well but just didn’t quite have enough. Obviously, that’s a credit to them. They had an effective game plan.”
Bowling Green extended its margin in the third quarter, holding the Wildcats to just six points. The Bobcats led 39-32 heading into the fourth period.
“They played a lot of zone the first time we played them and this time they played more man to man and got after our guards a little bit,” said Friedel. “It wears on you to go through that for four quarters when they’re up in your face for 32 minutes.”
“I was extremely pleased with our girls effort,” said Friedel. “There were a lot of times throughout the season where they could have laid down and taken a beating. They were resilient and stuck with it, even when the game was somewhat decided with a few minutes to go.”
Kelsey Capstick added 12 points for the Wildcats, while Emma Wegerzyn and Abby Raines added four a piece.
“I thought over course of the last few games Abby really started to step up and be a girl we could trust with ball in her hands,” said Friedel. “Both of our seniors Kelsey and Kaitlyn Johnson the last few weeks of season really stepped up their game a notch down the stretch.”
Wright City finished the season 9-16.
