Girls basketball tops Sandy Creek in conference tournament opener

A 23-point victory against Sandy Creek last night propelled the Jeffs girls basketball team into the next round of the Southern Nebraska Conference tournament.

Weighing her options, Ellie Ohlde ’21 sets up a play near the top of the key. Ohlde’s 9 points were all accredited to her three-point shooting. Photo by Brynn Novotny

The win comes after having faced the Cougars this last Saturday, Jan. 30 — a contest that resulted in a 51-22 win. The Jeffs did not match their 29-point margin yesterday, but they did hold Sandy Creek below 20 with a final score of 38-15. Jordan Tracy ’21 led the way with a double-double in rebounding (11) and scoring (10), assisted by Ellie Ohlde ’21 and Karly McCord ’22 racking up 9 points apiece.

The pair of wins against the Cougars brought a three-game losing skid to a halt. Having now reached an even 9-9 record, the Jeffs will have the opportunity to rise above .500 for the first time since their Jan. 14 game against Wilber-Clatonia.

“I feel like our season has gone well,” Tracy said. “We have had many close games against tough opponents with games [that] could have gone either way. I think that we have grown as a team.”

Jami Mans ’22 fights around a Sandy Creek player for a potential offensive rebound off a freethrow. Mans contributed 3 assists, 4 rebounds and a steal to the Jeffs’ winning effort. Photo by Brynn Novotny

Regardless of the tournament’s outcome, subdistrict play is now less than two weeks away with the opener scheduled for Monday, Feb. 15. Needing to play their best games to keep the season alive, the Jeffs have evaluated the improvements needed before then.

“I think we could still work on rebounding and coming out the second half having the same intensity we had in the first,” Hannah Robertson ’23 said. “I’m hoping to see better execution on both ends of the court. In particular, I would like to see more of our shots fall.”

The Jeffs travel to Milford tonight to face the 12-7 Eagles.

Maggie Layton ’21 applies pressure in the back court to Sandy Creek’s point guard. As a team, the Jeffs defense accumulated 11 steals in the Southern Nebraska Conference Tournament opener. Photo by Brynn Novotny