English Valleys Girls Sneak Past Tri-County in Thriller

Published by editor on Wed, 01/25/2023 - 11:57am

English Valleys’ Kennedy Axmear attempts a shot over Tri-County’s Jordyn Hughes

By:

Sean Strohmayer

The News-Review

NORTH ENGLISH—The English Valleys Bears hosted the Tri-County Trojans for a South Iowa Cedar league matchup on January 17. The Bears snuck past the Trojans by a final score of 54-52.

The first quarter was a hard fought battle between both teams that amounted to a 14-13 Tri-County lead. The Bears bounced back in the second quarter by out-scoring the Trojans 12-7 to secure a 25-21 halftime lead. English Valleys Kennedy Axmear was a force to be reckoned with as she totaled 15 first half points.

English Valleys pushed their lead to six at 45-39 heading into the fourth quarter. The Trojans came storming back in the fourth quarter to the tune of a 13-9 run, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit. The Bears held on for a narrow 54-52 victory over the Trojans.

The Bears were led by junior Kennedy Axmear, who finished the night with 28 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, one steal and two blocks. Junior Imigyn Stratton secured the most rebounds for the Bears with 14 on the night.

The Trojans were led by sophomore Ayla Hall, who finished her night with 13 points, three rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Sophomore Lily Randall was the leading scorer for the Trojans with 15 points. Senior Delanie Little was the main paint presence for the Trojans, as she amassed 10 rebounds on the night.

Tri-County head coach Chad Little after the game spoke of the performance from his team with, “We got some good shooting out of guards tonight.” As a team the Trojans were able to knock down 10 three pointers.

He went on to describe the performance from sophomore Ayla Hall with, “It’s the same thing I see from her every night. She works hard, and has a great motor. Always playing, and never giving up.”

The Bears advance to 11-5 on the season, with a conference record of 7-4. They will return to action on January 20, when they visit the Belle Plaine Plainsmen.

The Trojans fall to 9-7 on the seasons, with a conference record of 6-5. They will return to action on January 20, when they visit the Iowa Valley Tigers.