Gerrard Diaz, gdiaz@shawanoleader.com
Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Shawano Community High School forward Lindsey Kurtz tries to get around a Luxemburg-Casco defender during a Bay Conference game Friday in Shawano. Shawano lost, 43-40.
The Shawano Community High School girls basketball team played three solid quarters, but a lapse early in the second half Friday resulted in a 43-40 home loss to Luxemburg-Casco.
“We have to adjust and learn,” Shawano coach Ryan Koenig said. “One quarter is killing us. We’ve got to play four quarters.”
The Hawks (5-16, 4-10 Bay) had a nice start, holding their Bay Conference foe to four points in the first quarter and building a 21-13 halftime lead. But they were outscored 15-4 in the third quarter.
“We had the lead; that third quarter killed us,” Koenig said. “We played hard. The defensive effort, holding them to four points in the first quarter, all night our defensive intensity was good. There were just some mental lapses.”
Junior guard Sarah Kinnard, who had three points in the first half, sparked the Spartan offense with an early 3-pointer en route to 11 points in the third period.
The Hawks were able to hang around, though, and got to within one point, 37-36, with 2:30 left to play, spurred by the play of sophomore Sara Hokenstad and senior Lyndsey Kurtz.
Hokenstad scored seven of her nine points in the fourth quarter. Kurtz had seven rebounds and eight points in the game.
“We tried coming back and had some chances,” Koenig said. “The girls played hard.”
Down 42-38, sophomore Megan Klitzke made two free throws. The Hawks then fouled Jessica Liebeck, who missed both of her free-throw attempts, but an errant pass gave the ball back to the Spartans (6-14, 4-11).
Shawano then fouled Lexi Kinnard with 7.2 seconds left in the game. Lexi Kinnard made her second free throw to seal the win.
Sarah Kinnard led Luxemburg-Casco with 20 points.
Klitzke finished with nine points. Kayla Hokenstad had seven rebounds for the Hawks.
Luxemburg-Casco (43)
L. Kinnard 2 2-4 8, Warnke 2 0-0 4, S. Kinnard 5 8-8 20, Liebeck 1 4-7 6, Hanmann 1 0-0 2, Cravillion 1 1-2 3
Shawano (40)
Megan Klitzke 3 3-4 9, K. Hokenstad 1 0-0 2, S. Hokenstad 4 1-5 9, Kurtz 3 2-6 8, Boda 2 1-2 5, 1 0-0 2, Vomastic 2 0-0 5
Luxemburg-Casco 4 9 15 15 — 43
Shawano 7 14 4 15 — 40