NIOBRARA — Trailing to start the fourth quarter, Elgin Public-Pope John rallied to defeat Boyd County 40 to 32 in the finals of the D1-5 Subdistrict. The Wolfpack trailed for much of the second half before finding a way to victory.
“Coming out for the fourth quarter we all said ‘this might be the last eight minutes we ever play together.’ We didn’t want that to be,” Keyera Eisenhauer said after emerging from the locker room after the game. “So we all turned it up a notch in our defense … This wasn’t our best shooting night, so we worked for it on defense.”
After baskets by her and Taylynne Charf tied the score at 25-all, Eisenhauer gave the Wolfpack the lead, 26 to 25, with a free throw. She followed that up with a trey at the 5:12 mark in the fourth quarter for a three-point lead.
Ashlynne Charf came on strong in the fourth quarter, converting a steal to increase the lead to five points, 31 to 26.
The Wolfpack finished out the game with an Eisenhauer steal which she turned into two points and seven free throws down the stretch (Ashlynne Charf had three, Eisenhauer and Kate Furstenau each had two).
Boyd County managed just six points the rest of the game, two each from Amelia Hoffman, Leah Jockens and Natasha Zeisler.
Coach Randy Eisenhauer said the game turned in the Wolfpack favor, in large part, due to the pressure defense they applied. He said it created timely turnovers which EPPJ turned into points. Ashlynne Charf led EPPJ (21-4) with 15 points, Eisenhauer had 12.
EPPJ 40, Boyd County 32
Spartans………8 12 5 7 — 32
Wolfpack………10 6 5 19 — 40
Wolfpack — Taylynne Charf 1-6 0-0 2, Ashlynne Charf 6-10 3-5 15, Skyler Meis 0-8 2-4 2, Brenna Martinsen 2-4 2-2 7, Kate Furstenau 0-2 2-2 2, Keyera Eisenhauer 4-11 3-4 12, Maddie Kolm 0-0 0-2 0, Sara Bode 0-1 0-2 0. Team totals: 13-42 12-21 40. Boyd County team totals: 13-44 6-9 32. Three-point shots — Wolfpack 2-17 (Brenna Martinsen, Keyera Eisenhauer), Boyd County 0-9.
Team statistics: Rebounds — Wolfpack 26 (Brenna Martinsen 6, Skyler Meis & Ashlynne Charf 5), Boyd County 29. Assists — Wolfpack 6 (Skyler Meis 3), Boyd County 9. Steals — Wolfpack 18 (Ashlynne Charf 5, Skyler Meis & Keyera Eisenhauer 4), Boyd County 9. Turnovers — Wolfpack 21, Boyd County 27.
