On Tuesday, Dec. 19, the Eureka Lady Tornadoes traveled to Wichita, where they competed against the Independent Panthers. The Panthers are highly respected and talented, as they have held a state ranking in class 2A throughout the season. A rocky first half of play led to a strong second half, in which the Tornadoes battled hard and had a major comeback. While the final 16 minutes were quite momentous, Eureka still fell short, receiving their third loss of the season.
Wichita Independent won the tip, but they were unsuccessful in their attempt to score on a dribble drive. Eureka earned the first two points of the game after Brenna Rucker, a sophomore, drove and found Laynie Winfrey, a junior, on the baseline for a jumper. The Panthers were quick to respond, finishing a left handed layup and putting two points on the board. The play started a 6-0 run for the Panthers, but a fastbreak by Rucker and a dish to Winfrey closed the gap to two points, 4-6. Eureka entered a bit of a scoring drought for the remainder of the quarter. Rucker and Elle Coulter contributed a field goal and a free throw, respectively, to the team’s 7 points. The Panthers managed to bring in a total of 19 points in the quarter.
On the first possession of the second quarter, Winfrey drove to the basket and kicked the ball out to freshmen Coulter on the wing for a three-pointer. Wichita Independent answered with a two-point field goal of their own before Winfrey added another quick basket to Eureka’s score by driving into the lane, splitting two Panther defenders, and finding the rim for the shot.
The Panthers managed a 7-0 run on the Tornadoes just prior to a steal by Rucker, who caught junior Kimber Ptacek in transition for a mid-range bucket. That was the last the Tornadoes would score before the halftime buzzer sounded. Wichita Independent was successful in finding the bottom of the net throughout the second, putting a total of 15 points on the board. By the end of the half, the Tornadoes found themselves in a bit of a hole, trailing 14-34.
Eureka’s offense started off strong in the third quarter against Wichita Independent. With the scoring drought behind them, the Tornadoes were ready to battle. Ball movement by the offense opened up Winfrey, who was able to seek the rim, drawing a foul and sinking both free throws. The Panthers dropped two free throws as well before Rucker and Alaina Westerman, a sophomore, made back-to-back buckets in the paint. Wichita Independent drained a three pointer in return. The following possession, the Panthers managed to steal the ball, putting them back on offense. However, after Ptacek deflected a pass and chased down a loose ball in the back court, the Tornadoes were prepared to accumulate more points. Ptacek attempted another shot and although she was unable to find the bottom of the net, Winfrey snuck in for the offensive rebound, kicking the ball back out to Rucker who wormed her way into the paint for two points.
The hustle play forced a Wichita Independent timeout. Once the game resumed, the Panthers acquired a three-point basket, restoring the 22-42 lead. Sophomore Britta Mongeau provided three points of her own after draining a trey in the corner. The two teams exchanged baskets back and forth, but the Tornadoes had the last laugh. Eureka’s shooters seemed to have hot hands in the third quarter as Coulter and Rucker both supplied three-point field goals. Lydia Mason, a sophomore, concluded the quarter with another beautiful trey, shrinking the gap 3451.
Similar to the first three quarters of play, the Tornadoes threw the first punch, kicking off the final 8 minutes with a shot from behind the arc by Coulter. The Panthers quickly countered with a three-point play, scoring a field goal and drawing a foul for the and-1. Another bucket put Wichita Independent ahead by 19. A free throw by Rucker, followed by another shot from three point land by Coulter wrapped up the scoring for the fourth quarter, as the Panther’s offense worked on holding the ball for most of the final minutes. Although Eureka had a vital comeback in the second halfscoring 27 points to Wichita Independent’s 25 and forcing nearly 10 turnovers through deflections, steals, and high-pressure defense- the team was unsuccessful in securing the win. The Tornadoes lost 41-59, completing their 2023 season with a 3-3 record.
Scoring and Stat Leaders: POINTS: Coulter 13, Rucker 10, Winfrey 8, Mason and Mongeau 3, and Ptacek and Westerman 2.
REBOUNDS: Rucker 6, Westerman 5, Winfrey 4, Mongeau and Coulter 2, and Ptacek and Mason 1.
ASSISTS: Rucker 7 and Ptacek 2. STEALS: Rucker 5.
Next Up
After Christmas break, the Eureka Lady Tornadoes will kick off the new year in a game against Fredonia. The team will travel to Yellowjacket territory on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024.
