DesotoExplorer.com / Girls draw Bonner Springs in opener

Archive for Thursday, March 2, 2000

March 2, 2000

The new season begins Friday for DeSoto's girls basketball team.

The Cats travel to Shawnee Heights to face Bonner Springs in a Kansas Class 5A sub-state regional semifinal game. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and one thing is certain: DeSoto needs to be better prepared Friday than it was in its regular-season finale.

The Wildcats were drubbed by Immaculata, 50-28, last Friday in a game that was never close.

Ashley Carlson pulls down an offensive rebound last Friday.

"We weren't prepared," said DeSoto junior Tina Wiggens. "They capitalized on so many of our turnovers that we could never catch up."

The result was a defeat.

"They put it to us," said DeSoto coach Mark Peck. We had a lot of turnovers and they knew what to do when we turned the ball over."

The Wildcats kept the contest respectable throughout the first half. DeSoto's Erica Francis scored after a long pass from Sarah Robinson to cut the Raiders' lead to eight early in the third quarter.

That was as close as it got.

On Immaculata's next possession Robinson stole the ball to put DeSoto back on offense. Unfortunately, the Wildcats were unable put the ball in the hoop, despite several opportunities.

A 3-pointer from Immaculata's Cory Shoaf, followed by a pair of bombs from K.C. Basset put the game out of reach.

DeSoto regularly broke the Raiders' press but was unable to follow through with points. Immaculata shot consistently from the field and the foul line to maintain a 20-point lead through the final quarter.