Excelsior Springs, Mo. (Dec. 15-19).– A busy week of basketball pushed the Lady Tigers back over the .500 mark, as they finished with three wins and one loss.
The week opened with a dominant performance against Kansas City Northeast on December 15 before the Lady Tigers fell to the Maryville Spoofhounds on December 17. They rebounded quickly, closing the week with back-to-back wins over the Van Horn Falcons and the Southern Boone Eagles on December 18 and 19.
Kansas City Northeast was never able to find a rhythm in the opening game of the week. A 24–0 first quarter set the tone early and paved the way for a 56–11 Lady Tigers victory. Defensive pressure played a major role, as the Lady Tigers forced 30 turnovers and converted them into 34 points. Senior Kinley Rogers led the offensive effort with 12 points, while senior Josie Casler and junior Lexy Martin each added eight points in the win.
Future Midland Empire Conference opponent Maryville came to town on December 17 and controlled the game from start to finish, earning a 63–39 victory. The Spoofhounds held a 12–8 lead after the first quarter and extended it to 30–17 by halftime. The Lady Tigers were unable to close the gap, as Maryville outscored them 16–13 in the third quarter and 17–9 in the fourth. Casler recorded a double-double in the loss with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Rogers finished with nine points and nine rebounds. Turnovers proved costly, as the Lady Tigers committed 29, leading to 17 points for Maryville.
On December 18, the Lady Tigers traveled to Independence to face Van Horn and came away with a 52–45 win. The Falcons led 16–11 after the first quarter, but the Lady Tigers responded with a 12–5 second-quarter run to take a 23–21 lead at halftime. They continued to build momentum in the third quarter, outscoring Van Horn 16–11 to carry a 39–32 advantage into the final period. An even 13–13 fourth quarter sealed the win, giving the Lady Tigers their fourth victory in eight games. Kinley Rogers and her twin sister, Kayden Rogers, each scored 13 points, with Kinley also grabbing 13 rebounds to complete a double-double. Senior Bella Loeffert added 10 points to round out three Lady Tigers in double figures.
The week concluded with a 65–57 win over Southern Boone at the 12 Courts of Christmas High School Shootout at Hy-Vee Arena in Kansas City.
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