BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
Pawnee Heights' 6-foot-3 center Olivia Hands was sidelined with a foot injury for the Tigers' first state basketball appearance.
Tiger guard Julissa Torres, measuring 4-foot-11, replaced 20-point scorer Hands in the starting lineup at Barton Community College.
The 5-player Tigers were down to four players when sparkplug point guard Joselyn Cordero-Valles departed with a head injury as the first quarter ended.
Pawnee Heights faced a challenge to compete against unbeaten powerhouse Lebo in a 56-12 setback in Wednesday's 1A Division 2 state basketball tournament. The Wolves featured superior height, speed, shooting and depth.
Pawnee Heights coach Doug Ellison was proud of the effort against impossible odds. The Wolves led 41-0 when Tiger Abby Hands scored on the last shot of the first half.
But Torres, yes Torres, left the Tigers roaring when she scored her first career basket, then doubled her fun with a second basket.
"That's Julissa's first basket she's ever scored," Ellison said. "I was very excited to see her score."
The spunky Tigers kept battling, actually outscoring the Wolves 6-5 in the fourth quarter. Abby Hands scored six points with 11 rebounds. Callie Amspacker added two points.
"There's two things you can control in basketball -- your attitude and effort," Ellison said. "Nothing else matters. You've got to fight through every situation. That's the hardest situation they're ever faced. They didn't quit."
Lebo converted 21 first-half turnovers to fuel a layup drill en route to 41 consecutive points. Saige Hadley (17), Brooklyn Jones (13) and Audrey Peek (12) scored in double figures. Lebo coach Patrick Gardner played defense 4-on-4 with the Tigers after the first quarter.
"It was tough not having Olivia Hands available," Ellison said. "We had five players, and one goes down, and we have four players. Lebo is a great basketball team. They were nice to us playing 4-on-4. I appreciate that."
Olivia Hands said she sustained a painful foot injury in Saturday's substate championship game, but doesn't have a fracture.
"Knowing I wouldn't play was disappointing," Hands said. "It's tough missing tonight's game. I'm been working for the state tournament since freshman year. But our team has come so far this year. They worked hard and hung in there."
HANOVER 63, WALLACE COUNTY 32 – Hanover's Anna Jueneman (13) and Ceegan Atkins (11) led a 63-32 victory over Sharon Springs-Wallace County.
BELOIT ST. JOHN'S 45, HUTCHINSON CENTRAL CHRISTIAN 40 –Carlie Brummer scored 13 points and Ella Wiles added 10 points to boost Beloit St. John's past Hutchinson Central Christian 45-30.
BUCKLIN 44, SOUTH HAVEN 35 – Bucklin's Sydnie Jones scored 16 points.
Pawnee Heights 0 2 4 6 – 12
Lebo 25 16 10 5 – 56
PAWNEE HEIGHTS (9-14)–Abby Hands 2-12 2-4 7, Julissa Torres 2-8 0-0 4, Callie Amspacker 1-10 0-0 2, Joselyn Cordero-Valles 0-2 0-0 0, Briseida Ibarra 0-4 0-0 0, Totals 5-36 2-4 12
LEBO (23-0)–Hadley 8-12 0-0 17, Brooklyn Jones 6-9 0-0 13, Audrey Peek 6-10 0-0 12, Ott 0-2 0-0 0, Abigail Jones 1-2 0-0 2, Milan 0-2 0-0 0, Ally Peek 0-2 0-1 0, Konrade 2-4 2-3 7, Chalie Crouch 0-4 0-0 0, Potter 2-6 1-3 5, Sara Crouch 0-5 0-0 0, Carpenter 0-2 0-0 0, Totals 25-60 3-7 56
3-pointers–PH 0-10 (Torres 0-1, Hands 0-1, Ibarra 0-3, Amspacker 0-5); L 3-16 (B. Jones 1-1, Konrade 1-1, Hadley 1-3, Audrey Peek 0-3, A. Jones 0-1, Milan 0-1, C. Crouch 0-4, Crouch 0-2). Rebounds–PH 37 (Hands 11); L 33 (C. Crouch 5). Assists–PH 3 (Amspacker 2), L 10 Ott 4). Steals–PH 1 (Hands 1), L 19 (B. Jones 7)
Hanover 20 11 12 20 – 63
Wallace Co. 4 6 9 13 – 32
HANOVER (23-0)–Jueneman 5-13 3-5 13, Atkins 4-10 2-4 11, Holle 3-10 4-6 10, Lohse 3-10 0-0 8, Sinn 1-2 2-5 4, Stallbaumer 1-5 0-0 3, Schotte 2-4 0-0 6, Scheele 0-1 1-2 1, Schlbach 0-1 0-2 0, Klipp 2-4 1-4 5, Zarybnicky 0-0 2-2 2, Totals 21-59 15-31 63
WALLACE CO. (16-8)–Jersi Benisch 3-15 6-8 12, Dailey 3-9 2-2 8, Jyma Stafford 1-5 1-5 4, Ja'Asia Stafford 0-6 0-0 0, Carman 0-1 0-0 0, Edwards 1-3 0-1 2, Gibbs 0-0 0-2 0, Joss Benisch 2-9 0-1 6, Ita 0-3 0-0 0, Totals 10-51 9-19 32
3-pointers–H 6-21 (Schotte 2-3, Lohse 2-8, Atkins 1-2, Stallbaumer 1-4, Scheele 0-1); WC 3-11 (Joss Benisch 2-2, Jyma Stafford 1-3, Dailey 0-1, Ita 0-1, Jersi Benisch 0-4)
Beloit St. John's 8 16 9 12 – 45
Central Christian 9 11 6 14 – 40
BSJ (20-4)–Carlie Brummer 4-10 4-8 13, Wiles 4-9 2-3 10, Jenna Gengler 2-9 0-1 4, Katie Brummer 2-6 0-1 6, Jones 4-7 1-3 9, Aubrey Gengler 1-1 1-3 3, Totals 17-42 8-19 40
CENTRAL CHRISTIAN (15-8)–Kauffman 5-14 7-9 19, Boman 4-17 2-4 11, Barnett 2-4 0-0 4, Losew 1-6 0-2 2, Bateman 1-2 0-0 2, Swanson 1-1 0-0 2, Jensen 0-1 0-0 0, Totals 14-45 9-15 40
3-pointers–BSJ 3-9 (K. Brummer 2-4, C. Brummer 1-4, Gengler 0-1); CC 3-19 (Kauffman 2-8, Bowman 1-10, Barnett 0-1)
Bucklin 9 11 9 15 – 44
South Haven 3 5 16 11 – 35
BUCKLIN (19-4)–Jones 7-14 0-0 16, Feikert 4-6 2-4 10, Scott 0-3 0-0 0, Kirk 3-11 1-1 8, Stout 1-3 0-0 2, Bowman 0-1 2-2 1, Karlee Evans 2-3 3-5 7, Totals 17-41 7-12 44
SOUTH HAVEN (18-5)–Butler 0-3 1-2 1, Heater 5-9 0-0 13, Pond 4-13 0-1 10, Kelly Theurer 0-5 2-3 2, Dark 2-7 2-4 6, Jacee Theurer 1-6 0-0 3, Totals 12-43 5-10 35
3-pointers–B 3-10 (Jones 2-5, K. Evans 1-1, Stout 0-1, Bowman 0-1, Kirk 0-1, Scott 0-1), SH 6-21 (Heter 35, Pond 2-5, J. Theurer 1-6, Butler 0-2, K. Theurer 0-2)
1A DIV. 2 GIRLS
FIRST ROUND–Hanover 63, Wallace County 32; Beloit-St. John's 45, Hutchinson Central Christian 40; Lebo 56, Pawnee Heights 12; Bucklin 44, South Haven 35
FRIDAY SEMIFINALS–Hanover 23-0 vs. Beloit St. John's 20-4, 2; Lebo 23-0 vs. Bucklin 19-4, 6
