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RANDOLPH - The Randolph Lady Cardinal basketball squad took to the waters in the Lewis & Clark Conference Tournament this past week and showed improvement with the second highest offensive points total of the season.
The Lady Cards dropped an opening round game to Winside Feb. 1, 52-16 then fell to Walthill in a consolation game Feb. 3, 52-20.
The 20 points put up against the Lady Blujays was the second highest offensive output of the season. The highest total since a 33-point performance against Chambers/ Wheeler Central back on Dec. 6, the third game of the season.
Walthill jumped out to a 16-5 lead at the end of the first period.
The Lady Cards out-rebounded the Lady Blujays by a whopping 46-15 margin, but the extra possessions didn’t result in enough points to get the win.
Braylee Kelly played a great all around game pulling down 12 rebounds and scored seven points;Kynlee Winkelbauer and Brooke Meier also had great rebounding games pulling in eight each; Lilly Kuchta had a fantastic game pulling in nine rebounds, five steals and a basket, said Jordyn Anderson, Lady Cardinal coach. “
We had a great game controlling the lane and the midpoint, forcing them to shoot outside where they could not miss,” she said. “They really got us in the fourth quarter.”
Walthill outscored Randolph 20-8 in the final quarter to seal the win.
Kelly was the leading scorer for the Lady Redbirds with her seven points. Meier and Backer each tossed in four. Delayne Thelen contributed three and Kuchta had a bucket.
Kuchta had a great game against the Lady Wildcats, recording her first-ever, double-double with 10 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, but the Lady Cardinals were sent to the consolation game by the 52-16 final score.
“We stopped their outside play making them use posts and mid-range jumpers,” Anderson said. “We contained them well, our only issue was their fast transition game which we were unable to stop the entire game.”
Backer added five points and Kelly registered a free throw. Winkelbauer hauled down eight rebounds while Kuchta, Backer, Meier and Sydney Robinson each had a couple of steals.
The Lady Cards will host Elgin Public/Pope John Feb.13 before a date with Stuart on the road, Feb. 14 to end the regular season.
RAN (0-18) 5 5 2 8 - 20 WAL (9-11) 16 6 10 20 - 52 RANDOLPH: Lilly Kuchta 1-15 0-4 2; Abbey Backer 2-17 0-3 4; Kynlee Winkelbauer 0-2 0-4 0; Brooke Meier 2-9 0-0 4; Delayne Thelen 1-8 0-0 3; Braylee Kelly 2-9 3-8 7.
WIN (5-16) 52 RAN (0-18) 16 RANDOLPH: Kuchta 3-14 4-11 10; Backer 2-8 0-0 5; Sydney Robinson 0-1 0-0 0; Winkelbauer 0-2 0-0 0; Meier 0-4 0-0 0; Thelen 0-9 0-0 0; Kelly 0-4 1-6 1.
