Le Mars girls basketball wrapped up the first half of the MRAC schedule on the road at #11 Sioux City East on Thursday night with a 61-56 loss to the Black Raiders.
Thursday’s contest looked eerily similar to Monday night’s matchup with Estherville-Lincoln Central. The Black Raiders jumped on Le Mars early with a 21-6 lead after the first quarter and tried to pull away the rest of the game. Head Coach Cody Dyhrkopp says the difference between Monday and Thursday is that his team did not give in against East.
The big reason for East’s success in the early part of the game was their three-point shooting. The Black Raiders made seven three-point field goals in the first quarter alone with some coming from a little bit farther out. Coach Dyhrkopp says it took a bit of time to feel out how they wanted to defend those long shots.
The Bulldogs were down 32-13 after the first half was over. They would go on to score 28 points in the third quarter to shave a 20-point deficit down to three points. Coach Dyhrkopp says his team gained confidence from hitting shots and from playing some great defense.
The fourth quarter proved exciting with both teams vying for the lead in the final eight minutes. Le Mars had their chances to pull away, but Coach Dyhrkopp says a few missed opportunities on the defensive end ultimately ended those chances.
The Bulldogs have continually shown improvement even in tough losses like this one. Coach Dyhrkopp says part of that improvement now is to find ways in the end when the game is tight.
Sarah Brown led the way for the Bulldogs with 18 points. Le Mars now sits 7-5 on the year and 5-2 in the MRAC with the second half to come. Sioux City East was led by freshman Trishelle Miller who scored 28 in the win. East’s record now sits at 9-1 and 7-0 in the MRAC.
