Contributing writer
Alex Hiebert and Jessica Harvey, two seniors for the Goessel girls’ basketball team helped the Bluebirds into the winners’ bracket against Bluestem on Monday at the Berean Tournament, 42-34.
Neither team scored for more than two minutes, then Harvey and Hiebert dropped in eight points to keep pace with Bluestem as the Bluebirds trailed at the end of one quarter, 10-8.
The Bluebirds scored 11 consecutive points to start the second quarter on lay-ups and free throws by Harvey, a free throw by Aleena Cook and a basket by Hiebert. When Bluestem scored three to end the half, Goessel led 19-13.
Although Goessel dropped in points in the third period, Bluestem got as close as 25-24. Hiebert scored underneath and Johanna Hoffman sank a 3-pointer to give the Bluebirds a 30-24 lead at the end of three quarters. Goessel enlarged their lead 36-28 but then both teams struggled to score. The Bluebirds hit four free throws but missed 10 in the fourth period but survived to win.
Hiebert and Harvey led the Bluebirds in scoring with 14 points each. Hoffman had 6.
Berean
Goessel played the host team close in the second quarter, but the taller Berean team pulled away in the second half on their way to a 40-21 win on Thursday.
Hiebert hit a long 2-pointer for the only Goessel score in the first quarter, but Berean missed a number of free throws and the Bluebirds only trailed, 8-2, at the end of the first period.
Berean stretched their lead 14-4 in the second quarter. Unlike the game early in the week, the Bluebirds were perfect from the free-throw line in the first half and got as close as 16-10. The Warriors closed the period with a bucket and led, 19-12, at halftime.
Berean scored six to start the second half, but the Bluebirds continued to depend on their defense to lead to some baskets. Baskets and free throws by Page Hiebert and Jessica Harvey cut the deficit to 25-18, but the Warriors ended the third period with eight consecutive points to take a commanding 33-18 lead with 8 minutes to play. The momentum stayed with the home team until the game ended. Page Hiebert led the team with 8 points followed by Harvey with 7. Alex Hiebert scored four points.
Douglass
Fifty-nine free throws in the game painted the picture of Saturday’s match between Douglass and Goessel, which ended with a 41-34 Douglass victory.
With only two field goals for Goessel in the first half, one would expect that the Bluebirds would have been buried, but Goessel trailed 18-10 at halftime.
In the third period, Alex Hiebert hit a 3-pointer to get the Bluebirds within five points, but then again, no more field goals the rest of the period.
For two minutes in the fourth period, the Bluebirds still had not scored. They trailed, 27-15. With Hoffman’s fifth foul Goessel called timeout trailing, 36-22.
In the last three minutes of the game, the Bluebirds left the perch and began to sing. Alyssa Booton connected on a 3-pointer from the left corner, Page Hiebert put in a basket, Jessica Harvey hit two free throws, Alex Hiebert hit her second 3-pointer of the game, and Aleena Cook dropped in a basket to allow the Bluebirds to cut a 14-point deficit down to six. Time was running out as the offense began to click and Douglass finished with a free throw to win.
Harvey led the Bluebirds in scoring with 11 points. Alex Hiebert had 8 points. Page Hiebert had 6.
The girls are now 6-7 overall and will have two Wheat State League games this week. They played at Little River on Tuesday. They play Friday at home against Centre.