YODER – The Southeast High School girls’ basketball team made a long drive north to Moorcroft on Friday, ultimately coming up short, falling 37-35 on a buzzer-beater.
With the game tied at 35 in the closing seconds of the game against the top-ranked Class 2A team, until the Lady Wolves hit a layup with less than a second to, leaving Southeast with no time to respond.
“It was back and forth for the last two minutes of the game,” Southeast coach Jennifer Scheer said. “It was a tight, hard-fought game. We made a couple mistakes down the stretch, but we caused them to turn the ball over as well. They hit the shot right at the buzzer.”
The Lady Cyclones battled foul trouble throughout the game allowing the Southeast bench to continue to provide valuable minutes.
“Our kids overcame the foul trouble,” Scheer said. “I played a lot of kids a lot of minutes again.
“There again, these kids are coming off the bench for us are playing a lot of quality minutes and keeping us in games and giving us chances to win. Down the stretch it’s going to be important when you are playing two or three games in a day at regionals or state. When you are 10, 11 deep, it’s important.”
Sophomores Sydney Anderson and Brenna Herring led the Lady Cyclones with nine points each, while junior Grace Desmond added eight. Sophomore Kealy Carson tossed in seven.
The next day, Southeast rebounded with a 46-39 win over Class 3A Burns.
“Burns is really quick, and they use that speed well,” Scheer said. “They are disciplined in what they do.”
Despite jumping out to a 6-2 lead, Burns’ speed and discipline proved to be challenge throughout much of the game.
A late 3-pointer by Burns gave the Lady Broncs a 9-8 advantage.
The visitors maintained the lead throughout the rest of the first half.
In the early seconds of the third quarter, Desmond connected on a pair of free throws to tie the game at 17, and two minutes later, Herring put Southeast back in front.
The Lady Cyclones never trailed for the remainder of the game.
Late in the game, Southeast led 41-37, and freshman Baylie Booth put the game out of reach with a layup and followed it up with a free throw. The three points pushed the Lady Cyclone led to 44-37 with under a minute to play.
“(Baylie) gives us quality minutes every night,” Scheer said. “For her to score multiple points for us every night is an added bonus. She did a tremendous job on that play. She saw an opening on the floor and called for the ball. She was wide open.”
Herring led Southeast with 20 points, while Anderson added eight. Carson tossed in seven.
Southeast (8-5) returns to the court on Friday at Glenrock (4-7 overall and 0-2 in the 2A Southeast Quad). Action gets underway at 5:30 p.m.
