Wakefield girls run past Hartington-Newcastle

WAKEFIELD — Some of that mojo the Hartington-Newcastle girls basketball team seemed to have captured fell off a bit right before Christmas, as Wakefield dropped a 74-38 lump of coal into the Lady Wildcats stocking.

Alivia Morten scored 14 points to lead HNS, but the Lady Wildcats fell to 3-4 after a two-game winning streak was stunted in the defeat.

“Our schedule, we knew, going into the season was going to be tough before Christmas,” Lady Wildcats head coach Josh Morten said. “Wakefield is a very solid ball team with a lot of different girls that can score. They play a very good and aggressive defense. We were able to get past their press for the most part, only giving up one layup from their press. They are very good at getting a rebound and pushing the floor to score. Our transition defense wasn’t the greatest at times.”

The team played in spurts, Morten said.

“We did do a lot of really good things against them, but just ran out of gas in the fourth quarter. In the first half, we got into our offense and got a lot of good shots up, but we just couldn’t make them. The third quarter was one of the best we have played all year. We moved the ball well and scored 15 points against their tough defense.”

The Lady Wildcats opened up play at the Stanton Holiday Tournament Monday against the hosts and were slated to battle either Lutheran or West Holt on Tuesday.

“The girls are improving, and we just need to put it all together for four quarters,” Coach Morten said. “We can play with these teams but sometimes we struggle scoring.

Morten thought the HNS girls should compete well at Stanton.

“Stanton looks to be a team we can match up pretty well with, it’s a good opportunity to get a win and move on,” he said.

Senior Keanna Korth noted the Lady Wildcats are looking pretty well before things get rolling out of the holiday break.

“We are really young, but we work really well together and do a really good job of working hard in practice and apply what we do there into the game,” Korth said. “We started to understand what we needed to do to win and how to work together and to be patient when we have the ball and in making a decision. We are really maturing in that aspect.”

Korth said the volleyball team’s late rise of success, had a lot to do with the maturity of the younger players, and that is starting to take hold once again.

“They are really stepping up,” Korth said. “They are working hard and starting to work together. We are starting to find a rhythm. I think having us during volleyball showed them how much they can do and how much we do need them. It showed their capabilities and talents help us as a team also.

“We just have to keep focusing on what we are doing in practice and then carrying that over to the game especially. Also, when we get tired on the court, we have to push ourselves further to continue to do the best you can for the team.”

Wakefield                15    19    20     20 — 74

Hartington-Newcastle    7    9    16    6 — 38

    HNS    Wakefield

FG    8-30        18-36

3PT    5-17        6-11

FT    5-17        20-27        

Reb    27            39    

TOs    25            15        

SCORING

HNS - Alivia Morten, 14; Keanna Korth, 7; Mani Lange, 7; Delaney Sudbeck, 6; Kayden Jueden, 2. Wakefield - A. Arenas, 22; A Lundahl, 18; J Metzler, 14; K. Brudigman, 8; A. Valenzuela, 5; R. Borg, 3; M. Arenas, 2; M Decker, 2.

REBOUNDS 

HNS - Kayden Jueden, 8; Mani Lange, 6; Alivia Morten, 4; Makenna Clarkson, 4; Keanna Korth, 3; Lauren Howell, 1; Zoey Gratzfeld, 1.  Wakefield - A Lundahl, 10; A. Arenas, 7; R. Borg, 6; A Valenzuela, 4; M Mogus., 4; K Brudigman, 2; Munter-McAffee, 2; J Metzler, 2; M Decker, 2. 

ASSISTS 

HNS - Kayden Jueden, 3; Mani Lange, 2; Keanna Korth, 2. Wakefield - A Arenzas, 5; A Valenzuela, 5; J Metzler, 4; R. Borg, 3; A Lundahl, 2; K Brudigman, 1; M Arenas, 1; M Decker, 1.

STEALS  

HNS - Alivia Morten, 4; Mani Lange, 2; Zoey Gratzfeld, 1; Kayden Jueden, 1; Keanna Korth, 1; Makenna Clarkson, 1. 

Wakefield - A Arenas, 6; A Valenzuela, 5; K. Brudigman, 3; J Metzler, 2; M Moglus, 1.

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