Despite leading 18 to 12 after the first quarter of play, the Lennox High School girls’ basketball team fell to Elk Point Jefferson 57-54 on Tuesday, Jan. 30. Lennox was outscored 19 in 13 in the second quarter suffering the loss.
“We started the game great offensively, building a double-digit lead in the middle of the second quarter. Unfortunately, we lost focus defensively and had a number of costly turnovers which gave EPJ momentum as they were able even up the game at 31 heading into half,” said LHS head coach Adam Quail.”In the second half we were unable to take control and couldn’t answer with a run of our own after EPJ strung some possessions together.”
Carli Kuyper paced the Orioles offensively with 22 points and six rebounds while Andie Peters had 13 points. Dani Highum finished with six points, Teagan Sturm five, Gavin Harlan and Ryan Hanssen three points each, and Karlie Bosma two points. Leading the Orioles in rebounds was Kuyper with six and Highum with five. Highum and Hanssen lead in assist with four each on the night. Sturm and Herlyn each finished with three steals.
On Thursday, Feb. 1 the LHS girls took on Baltic and earned a dominating 73-34 victory. Lennox lead 34-13 at the half and never looked back.
“I thought we took control from the tip and dominated in every facet of the game,” said Quail.
Highum had a strong all-around game with 13 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and five steals. Kuyper ended with 20 points and Peters ended with 14 points. Olivia Niederbaumer had 11 points in the game, Hanssen finished with nine and Sturm added six.
On Saturday, Feb. 3 the LHS girls competed in the Dak XII/ NEC girls clash in Madison, facing off against Hamlin. Shooting over 40% from the field, Lennox earned the 45-37 victory over Hamlin.
“I was really excited with how we played against a talented Hamlin team. We were able to execute our defensive game plan and take Hamlin out of their comfort zone,” said Quail. “We won the rebounding battle while limiting our turnovers, which has been a struggle for us at times.”
Kuyper led the way with 15 points and seven rebounds while Highum had 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Hanssen chipped in eight points and six rebounds. Both Sturm and Bosma finish the night with four points each.
On Thursday, Feb. 8 the LHS girls will host Tri-Valley in a 7:30 p.m. game. On Friday, Feb. 9 the Orioles will travel to Tea Area to take on the Titans in double header action with the LHS boys. The LHS girls are set to tip off at 6:30 p.m. On Monday, Feb. 12 the Orioles will host Vermilion in another double header with the LHS boys; the girls are set to tip off at 6:15 p.m. During this double header the Lennox community is putting on a fundraiser for Lance Spieler, a 2023 graduate of LHS who was severely injured in a car accident on Jan. 23. There will be a meal, 50/50 raffle and raffle baskets. “Love for Lance” t-shirts can also be ordered online at https://dadesigns605.com/collections/love-for-lance. T-shirt orders will be taken until Wednesday, Feb. 7.
On Tuesday, Feb. 13 the Lennox girls will host Beresford at 6:30 p.m.