By DELBERT PETERS

Staff writer

Consecutive losses to Douglass and Wichita Trinity dropped the Goessel girls to fourth place in the Berean Invitational Tournament this past week.

The defense looked healthy, but the Goessel offense struggled in semifinal action Thursday against Douglass. The Bluebirds shot just 17 percent from the field, losing 28-15.

Goessel jumped to a 4-0 lead on layups from Page Hiebert and Alicen Meysing. Douglass scored 12 unanswered points before Hiebert broke the string with a free throw. The first quarter ended with Goessel trailing 12-5.

The Bulldogs opened the second quarter with four points. Goessel responded with 2 coming from Erin Brubaker, and a layup and free throw by Hiebert. The halftime score showed Goessel behind 16-10.

The Bluebirds scored just five second-half points to end a frustrating game with a 28-15 loss.

Hiebert led the Bluebirds with 9 points.

Wichita Trinity

The Bluebirds jumped out to a 6-0 lead Saturday against Wichita Trinity, as the Knights missed shot after shot. When Trinity began to score, the Bluebirds went cold. Goessel trailed 12-6 before Brubaker hit a free throw to break the scoring drought. Aleena Cook hit two free throws, Makayla King scored 3 points, and Hiebert scored a bucket to go into halftime trailing 21-14.

The lob pass under the bucket that worked earlier in the season didn’t against the Knights. Hiebert scored Goessel’s only points in the third quarter as the deficit grew to 27-18.

Wichita Trinity pushed its lead to 17 in the fourth quarter before Aleena Cook connected on the Bluebirds’ only 3-pointer of the game with 36 seconds to play. The 41-29 loss dropped Goessel to fourth for the tournament.

Hiebert led the team with 16 points, and Cook added 5. Hiebert and Cook were named to the all-tournament team.

Goessel posts a 10-3 record overall and 4-0 in the Wheat State League.