Lady Longhorns have challenging week ahead

    Though the Chase County girls’ basketball team lost its first game of the season Friday at Sidney, it bounced back to its winning ways with a victory at home against Ogallala.
    Chase County’s matchup on the road with the Red Raiders was closely contested.
    “This was a game within our reach,” CCS Head Coach Randy Longoria said.
    Jordan Jablonski and Bryn McNair powered CCS through the first quarter. The pair put 14 points on the board and kept the Longhorns within one, 14-15.
    McNair scored five more points in the second quarter and Jerzee Milner got in on the act, adding six points of her own.
    But as time ran down in the first half, Milner threw up a half court three pointer and came down awkwardly on an ankle. Despite walking off the court, Milner stayed on the bench in the second half.
    CCS quickly erased its 25-27 halftime deficit. McNair went to work, scoring 10 points in the third quarter. Jablonski and Lucy Spady added two point buckets and Morgan Peterson a three pointer to give CCS a 42-37 edge.
    Sidney had other ideas. The Red Raiders stormed back into the contest.
    Tied at 48 with 1:20 remaining, Peterson hit a shot in the paint to give CCS a two-point lead. With 40 seconds left Sidney made a three pointer to take the lead back. CCS was unable to answer and gave up a late layup to seal the 50-53 loss.
    “The opportunities were there,” Longoria said, adding CCS couldn’t put the pieces together.
    “We had our chances to put it away,” he said.
    The Longhorns out rebounded Sidney 43-26, a stat that Longoria said kept CCS in the game.
    McNair led the Longhorns with 28 points, nine rebounds and six blocks.
    Jablonski finished with seven points and 10 rebounds.
    CCS rolled to a 50-37 win over Ogallala Saturday.
    CCS scored on a 3 by McNair and layup by Liz Reeves in the first 2:05 of the game, then didn’t score from the field for the remainder of the first quarter.
    McNair made three free throws, a total matched by the Indians who also made three field goals to leave CCS trailing 8-9.
    Longoria said the Indians started off in a 1-1-3 and used a guard to double team McNair.
    The Longhorns responded in the second quarter with a two-guard front and the game opened up when Jablonski, Peterson and Landree McNair made shots from outside the arc.
    L. McNair made seven points in the quarter to help the Longhorns take a 26-16 lead into the locker room.
    Jablonski and B. McNair increased Chase County’s lead in the third quarter. The pair combined for 14 of the Longhorns’ 15 points in the quarter as CCS ran its lead to 41-25.
    Jablonski knocked in a fourth quarter field goal, but as time ran down in the game, CCS found itself in “uncharted territory,” Longoria said, when Jablonski went to the bench at the four minute mark of the fourth quarter with her fifth foul.
    Missing its top two guards—Milner sat out due to her ankle injury—CCS slowed the game down and took the 50-37 win.
    McNair scored 24 points to lead the Longhorns. McNair also had 11 rebounds.
    Jablonski finished in double figures, totaling 10 points. Up next
    CCS went to Sutherland Tuesday for a game against the 2-3 Sailors.
    Heading into the game Longoria expected to give Milner another night off to recuperate.
    Saturday the Longhorns will host Wray, Colorado. The Eagles were runners up in Class 2A last season. Heading into the game, Longoria complimented Wray’s guard play.
    Chase County’s game with Wray last year was cancelled by a snow storm.
    Tuesday undefeated Bridgeport will be in Imperial for a conference matchup. The Bulldogs finished fourth in Class C2 at last year’s state tournament.