Sports
Stars take one step forward, one back
Matthew Semisch
12/23/2014
Ahead of its final game of 2014, the Bottineau High girls’ basketball team has established its identity and its goals for this season.
The first bit is already in place, despite the Stars having only played four games so far in the new campaign. Achieving the other bits, however, will take place at some point further on.
BHS (2-2) experienced an up-and-down second week of the season in splitting a pair of home games against Dunseith and Langdon. The Stars easily downed Dunseith 69-43 last Monday but then fell hard in a 66-45 defeat to Langdon on Saturday.
Against Dunseith, senior Stephanie Brenden had unquestionably her best game of the young season. She posted a triple-double against the Lady Dragons, picking up 22 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds.
Brenden also created five steals and blocked one shot in the victory.
Speaking after the game, she expressed her happiness with not only her own outing but the rest of her team’s.
“I don’t really think about it when I’m out there, but when things are working for me, it works for all of us,” she said. “When one of us is good, the other girls become better, too, because, for example, if I’m shooting well, I can also find other girls open who can get to the basket and keep us going.”Kennedy Olson also played a key role for the Stars by recording 16 points, 12 rebounds and a team-high three blocks.
BHS head coach Joe Bender felt, however, that something was off about his team against the Lady Dragons. The fact that the Stars hadn’t played a game since Dec. 6 played a part.
“I think a little of it was rust,” Bender said, “and that’s why it’ll be nice going forward here where we have a game once every four days. not one every 10.”
Saturday’s game against Langdon proved to be much more of a struggle. The Cardinals jumped out to a 23-10 first-quarter lead and never trailed.
After the game, Bender chose to focus not on what had just happened but on the team’s forseeable future.
“It’s a long haul, and we’ve got to be ready for that and for district play when the games start to matter that wmuch more,” he said, “but we just need to be strong basketball players and we’ll get to where we want to be.”
The Stars also hosted North Star on Monday after press time.