LIBERAL Mo. — The Crest girls received an unkind draw in this week’s Tony Dubray Classic in Liberal, Mo.
After falling to top-seeded Lockwood (Mo.) on Tuesday night, the Lancers were matched up with Galena in the consolation semifinals on Wednesday.
Crest — whose entire high school enrollment is on the same scale as a single class at Galena — found themselves in trouble early against the 3A school and fell 48-20.
“I think we got intimidated with the game last night being so rough and the physicality of the tournament overall,” Crest coach Elaine Holloway said. “A lot of our teams in league are physical, and we can compete with it. Here, it’s a different level.”
The first quarter was the roughest for the lady Lancers. The Bulldogs opened up a 15-0 lead going into the second quarter.
“We made stupid mistakes,” Holloway said. “The whole first quarter all I said was basically, ‘Are we in middle school?’ It felt like I was watching a middle school game. We would throw the ball away, we wouldn’t go to the ball and little things that we all know how to do, but we just didn’t do it.”
The physicality level in the Lancers’ opening two games of the tournament has taken an effect on the thin Lancers squad, who are playing the tournament without senior center Miranda Golden.
As the Lancers have all season, they continued to fight on despite the deficit.
Laurel Godderz opened the second quarter with a three pointer and the Lancers throttled up their defense and held the Bulldogs to just nine points in the quarter.
Despite the large lead, Galena continued its full-court pressure throughout the first three quarters. The lead grew to 24-4 at the halftime intermission.
“The first half was definitely our fault,” Holloway said.
Crest made a run to cut into the lead to 28-13 in the early portions of the third quarter with five points from Laurel Godderz and baskets from Cassie Bowen and Regan Godderz.
The Galena pressure continued to frustrate Crest point guard Regan Godderz however and turnovers doomed the Lancers hopes to get back within single digits before the fourth quarter.
“It is all mental with (Regan),” Holloway said. “She thinks she has to do it all and has no one to help her out, but she does… Regan has a lot of heart though and I ask a lot from my point guard.”
The Lancers went into the final quarter down 40-15 and Holloway began to take her starters out of the game. Shortly after Crest began to substitute, Galena began to do the same and the game finished 48-20.
Laurel Godderz led the Lancers with 10 points while fellow-senior Callie McGhee had four points. Cameryn Stickler, Regan Godderz and Bowen each added two points.
UP NEXT
Crest will face Golden City (Mo.) — who lost to Northeast Arma in their consolation semifinal — in the seventh-place game on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m.
Crest beat Northeast Arma earlier this season, but that was with Miranda Golden in the lineup.
