G-E-T falls to Coulee leading West Salem, beats Tomah
The West Salem girls basketball team is officially in the driver’s seat of the Coulee Conference race after defeating G-E-T (9-11, 6-3 Coulee) last Thursday.
A loss to the Panthers was preceded by a second-half push from the Red Hawks and multiple players hitting key shots in a win over Tomah on Tuesday.
G-E-T was scheduled to host Logan on Monday and visits Arcadia on Friday.
G-E-T 53 Tomah 37
With the scoreboard ticking down to seven minutes remaining in a nonconference girls basketball game at G-E-T High School last Tuesday, the host Red Hawks needed someone to take control of the game.
Tomah and G-E-T had been trading shots — and leads — throughout the game, and it was one of the home team’s unsung leaders who turned the game in favor of the Red Hawks.
Senior Avali Bratberg ripped the ball from a Tomah attacker’s hands before dishing to classmate Lindsey Lettner for an easy layup and the two-point lead, following the play up with a corner three-pointer just seconds later to push the lead to five.
It was enough of a cushion to carry G-E-T to a 53-37 win.
“She doesn’t start, sometimes her minutes are not maybe where she would want them to be,” G-E-T coach Louis Hurd said of Bratberg. “But when her number is called I know I can always trust her to be making the right choices, to always be in the right defense, to always give the best effort.”
Bratberg’s first points of the game came early in the second half, pulling G-E-T to within one point of Tomah five minutes after the break.
In the first half, G-E-T let their shaky offense affect the team’s defense because turnovers and missed shots turned into defensive struggles and frustrations, Hurd said. The result was a 23-18 lead for the visiting Timberwolves at the break.
In the second half, though, the Red Hawks turned to a quicker press game, trying to utilize speed against a Tomah team that had a significant height advantage.
“Sometimes we get bogged down by trying to make the perfect pass, looking down at the ground instead of playing with our head up,” Hurd said. “You can’t really put one thing on it. But I’m happy that we got into a little transition game with stealing the ball and getting some quick ones down the floor.”
Seven different players scored for the Red Hawks, and multiple players stepped up late in the game. Senior Kylie Schmitz hit back to back three-pointers with about five minutes left to push the lead into double digits, and other players hit key baskets as well.
Lettner led the Red Hawks with a 24-point night. Having multiple players be threats on offense made the push easier, Hurd said, adding that despite some nights recently where the team can go cold shooting, nights such as Tuesday make it worth it.
“Sometimes we live by the shot and we die by the shot,” he said. “You’ve just got to stay positive and say, ‘Hey, the next one is going in.’ You have to have that shooter mindset, and I give our kids credit, especially the ones who don’t always get a lot of volume in shots in games.”
G-E-T (field goals-free throws/attempts-fouls-points)—Lettner 8-3/4-1-24, Hunter 0-0/0-4-0, A. Bratberg 3-0/0-1-9, K. Bratberg 3-0/0-1-9, Schmitz 2-0/3-1-6, O’Neill 1-0/0-1-3, Nelson 1-0/2-3-2, Kokott 0-0/0-3-0, Kirkey 0-2/2-0-2.
West Salem 57, G-E-T 42
The Panthers (17-3, 8-1) retained the top spot in the Coulee with Thursday’s win at G-E-T.
West Salem held G-E-T to 15 points in the first half and held off a second half rally from the Red Hawks.
Bratberg and senior Emily Nelson co-led the Red Hawks with eight points apiece. West Salem got a 24-point night from Anna McConkey.
G-E-T (field goals-free throws/attempts-fouls-points)—Lettner 2-0/0-3-5, Hunter 2-1/2-1-6, A. Bratberg 1-0/0-0-3, K. Bratberg 4-0/2-3-8, Schmitz 2-0/2-1-5, O’Neill 1-2/2-0-4, Nelson 3-0/0-2-8, Kirkey 1-0/0-1-3.
