Sports
Ladyjacks still fighting to be Region XIII host
Tyler Ohmann
02/12/2013
A banged up Dakota College at Bottineau (DCB) Ladyjacks squad won one, but lost two in a week against tough opponents.
Last Monday the Ladyjacks fell prey to the Wildcats of North Dakota State College of Science in a 68-56 loss in Wahpeton.
The Ladyjacks trailed by four at halftime, but after tying the game at 33 early in the second half the Wildcats went on a 10-0 run and DCB was unable to catch them.
“(It was a) tough night for us as we didn’t appear ready from the beginning and fell behind by 10 points early in the contest,” stated Ladyjacks head coach Wayne Johnson. “To the ladies credit they battled, got back in the game and actually had some good opportunities to take the lead at half time. Poor free throw shooting prevented the completion of the rally.”
For the game the Ladyjacks were 9-of-19 from the charity stripe. They also didn’t have their best night from beyond the arc as they went 5-for-20 from deep.
Dominique Staten led DCB with 12 points, two assists and two steals. Sophomore Jackie Miller added 10 points and six rebounds in the loss, which was a critical one according to Johnson.
“This loss does hurt as it could turn out to be a big game if a tie breaker is necessary with United Tribes in hosting the regional tournament,” Johnson stated. “Overall we have plenty of work to do with a short time to get things accomplished.”
The Ladyjacks responded to Monday’s loss with an 82-72 win on Wednesday as they hosted Turtle Mountain Community College (TMCC).
DCB exploded in the first half, scoring 45 points and leading by 17 at the break.
Despite a late run by the Mikinocks in the second half, the Ladyjacks managed to hang on to the lead, and go on to victory.
“This was nice win to pick up,” Johnson stated. “It was especially nice at this time of the season and also nice that everyone who played got into the scoring column.”
All nine Ladyjacks had at least three points, led by Miller’s 20 points. Sophomore Megan Green played strong inside, grabbing 16 rebounds to go along with eight points.
However, Jordyn Sondrol was the biggest contributor for the Ladyjacks as she nearly had a triple-double with 16 points, 14 rebounds and eight steals.
Josie DeGagne added 12 points in the win.
DCB out rebounded the Mikinocks 54-42 and forced 24 turnovers.
“They shot the ball very well from the field and from the free throw line to stay in striking distance,” Johnson stated. “We didn’t shoot the ball as well as we would like and had a few unforced turnovers but made up for that with some great work on the offensive boards.”
The Ladyjacks had 26 offensive rebounds, which they converted into 24 second-chance points.
“This win puts us at 10 wins for the season with seven games remaining,” Johnson stated. “We needed it to regain a bit of confidence as we have a tough stretch to end our season.”
However, the Ladyjacks were unable to use the momentum from the win in a game at Williston State last Thursday.
DCB fell to a strong Tetons team 74-49 in the game.
The Ladyjacks were held to 14 first-half points, which put them down by 34 at halftime.
“This was not a pleasant night for the Ladyjacks,” Johnson stated. “The Tetons dominated from the jump ball, especially in the first half. We struggled with their size and hot shooting on our defensive end.”
DCB battled back and out scored the Tetons 35-26 in the second half, but the huge lead accrued in the first half was too much to overcome.
“To the ladies credit, we hung in and battled,” Johnson stated. “We came back with a much better second half. This was one of those nights that we need to put behind us and look forward to the next game.”
DCB was without post players Leah Parizek and Leigha Schmaltz due to illness and injury.
The Ladyjacks (10-14) host a big game against Bismarck State at 6 p.m. on Thursday. They then travel to Devils Lake to play in the Lake Region Classic on Saturday and Sunday.