Viking girls drop games to Bloomer, Mondovi

By Cara L. Dempski

The Colfax girls’ basketball team finds itself in unfamiliar territory as it fell to 1-3 on the season after dropping a pair of road games to tough competition last week.

Returning from the Thanksgiving break, the Lady Vikings fell to Highway 40 rival Bloomer  36-27 last Tuesday.

Colfax traveled to the Blackhawks home court on November 29 and scored only eight points in the first half. Colfax picked up its offensive pace in the second to score 19 points. The Blackhawks  were ranked fourth in Division 3 of the November 29 Wisconsin Sports Network’s Girls Basketball Coaches Poll.

Three days later Colfax traveled south to Durand to take on a Panthers’ squad that finished  in a third-place tie with the Vikings in last season’s D-SC girls’ standings. Durand prevailed on it’s home court, taking down Colfax 57-46 after it outscored the Vikings 36 to 22 in the second half. Colfax had led 24-21 at the half.

The Viking girls will host Boyceville on December 8 before starting another three-game road swing in Spring Valley on December 13.

Bloomer

Colfax head coach Joe Doucette said the Vikings were solid defensively against the Blackhawks, but had some stretches where it was difficult for shots to fall. The first half of the game saw the Vikings score only half what Bloomer did to trail 15-8. But Colfax charged into the second half to draw within two before falling by nine points, 36-27.

The Vikings committed 16 fouls, while Bloomer committed 19. Colfax dropped in five of 14 free throws and the Blackhawks nailed eight of 12.

“We hit some key shots to get close,” Doucette stated. “But for the most part, we did not shoot the ball well enough to beat a great team.”

Doucette said he was pleased to again see the team playing together and not giving up. Doucette sees the Vikings’ tough early schedule in a positive light, saying it gives the Colfax girls a chance to be tested. He said Colfax has played some good teams and done a lot of good things, and he hopes to keep building success in the young team.

What hurt the team against Bloomer were rebounding and turnovers which lead to easy baskets and free throws for the Blackhawks.

“Our initial defense was very good, if we could have rebounded better, we could have had a chance to win,” Doucette stated.

Sophomores Alyssa Dachel and Savannah Henricks led the Vikings in scoring, taking credit for seven points apiece. Henricks put in two field goals and a three-pointer, while Dachel dropped in two threes and a free throw.

Emma Hurlburt, another sophomore, fouled out of the game after logging only a pair of two-point shots and a free throw. Freshman forward Kameri Meredith hit a field goal and sank two of her five free throw attempts to log five points. Taylor Irwin sent a three-pointer through the hoop, and Hannah Sykora was one for three with free throws to record a solitary point against Bloomer.

Doucette said seniors Ally Heidorn and Bryana Buchanan continue to provide leadership for the younger players, all of whom he said have a lot of potential.

“I like our team if we don’t get discouraged and get better offensively,” Doucette said. “We could be very good.”

Bloomer senior Aliya Seibel led the Blackhawks with 11 points spread across a field goal and a trio of three-pointers.

COLFAX 27, BLOOMER 36
Colfax………………..8   19 — 27
Bloomer…………….15  21 — 36

TEAM STATISTICS (FG-FT-F-T)

Colfax (8-5-16-27) A. Dachel 2-1-3-7, A. Heidorn 0-0-3-0, K. Meredith 1-2-3-4, S. Henricks 3-0-2-7, T. Irwin 1-0-0-3, H. Sykora 0-1-0-1, E. Hurlburt 2-1-5-5.

Bloomer (12-8-19-36) S. Zweifelhofer 1-3-2-5, J. Burgess 0-0-2-0, S. Kostner 2-1-4-6, A. Seibel 4-0-2-11, C. Zweifelhofer 1-2-1-4, S. Raine 3-2-4-8, S. Raine 1-0-0-2.

THREE-POINTERS C — A. Dachel 2, S. Henricks 1, T. Irwin 1; B — S. Kostner 1, A Seibel 3.

Durand

Try as they might, the Vikings just could not sail past the Panthers in Durand on December 2. Coach Doucette said the Colfax girls led until halfway through the second half, when Durand’s Ambree Schlosser and Emily Annis started pushing hard to the inside and drawing fouls.

It did not help that the Colfax girls started missing shots and free throws late in the second half.

The Panthers were 24 for 32 at the free throw line, and the Vikings were only eight for 21.

“Right now, that is a big weakness, and one that we must improve if we want to win close games,” Doucette said.

Still, Doucette likes the feel of this year’s Viking girls basketball team. He said they feel like they can work hard and improve. He was worried about the tough early schedule, but has been impressed by the positive attitudes he is seeing in practice and at games.

Senior Ally Heidorn led the team with 15 points after sinking a trio of three-point shots, a pair of field goals, and both free throw attempts. Freshman Kameri Meredith followed closely with 11 points and earned the first double-double of her high school career.

Sophomore Savannah Henricks reeled in eight points with a field goal and a pair of shots from downtown, classmate Alyssa Dachel had a field goal and a three-pointer, Emma Hurlburt recorded a field goal and a free throw for three points, and Bryana Buchanan and Hannah Sykora each logged two points.

Schlosser and Annis led the Durand effort with 17 points each.

COLFAX 46, DURAND 57

Colfax….……..24  21 — 46
Durand………..21  36 — 57

TEAM STATISTICS (FG-FT-F-T)

Colfax (16-8-18-46) A. Dachel 2-0-3-5, M. Schleusner 0-0-1-0, A. Heidorn 5-2-3-15, K. Meredith 3-5-2-11, S. Henricks 3-0-3-8, B. Buchanan 1-0-4-2, H. Sykora 1-0-0-2, E. Hurlburt 1-1-2-3.

Durand (15-24-22-57) R. Prissel 1-1-2-4, A. Schlosser 6-4-3-17, S. Baier 0-2-1-2, E. Hanson 4-6-4-14, M. Baier 1-1-2-3, E. Annis 3-10-2-17, H. Prissel 0-0-3-0, B. Hass 0-0-5-0.

THREE-POINTERS C — A. Dachel 1, A. Heidorn 3, S. Henricks 2; D — R. Prissel 1, A. Schlosser 1, E. Annis 1.