Goessel girls' season ends in regional semis
By DELBERT PETERS
Contributing writer
Goessel High School girls' basketball team breezed through the first-round of the Goessel 1A regional Feb. 19 with a 49-24 victory against Hamilton.
"We could have made this a blowout," coach Ryan Hoopes said, "but we've been on the other end of games like that, and it's no fun."
Goessel led Hamilton 24-3 after one quarter as the Bluebirds shot 45 percent from the field against the Tigers.
Other scores at the quarters were 37-9, 45-13, and 49-24.
The coaches emptied the bench in the fourth quarter and the varsity starters cheered as the substitutes continued to score.
Eight Bluebirds scored points in the game.
Scoring for the Bluebirds were Kendra Flaming 14, Aspen Frey nine points and seven steals, Jennifer Raymond and Karina Harvey six, Karis Janzen six points and six rebounds, Shanna Klassen four points, and Jessica Goertzen and Jamie Spoonemoore two points.
With the victory, Goessel advanced to the regional semifinal game against White City.
The Huskies were the upper seed and Goessel wore their visiting uniforms in their home gym.
A Flaming fast-break layup put the Bluebirds ahead 2-0 for their only lead in the game.
Janzen and Frey connected on baskets in the first quarter, but the Huskies led 14-6 at the first break.
Goessel's offense was stymied in the second quarter until Frey intercepted a pass and went all the way for a layup, and then connected on one of two free throws for the Bluebirds' only points in the second quarter.
The deficit for Goessel was 15 points at halftime.
Janzen, Frey, and Raymond scored six straight points in the third period, and Frey connected on a three-pointer from the right corner to get the Bluebirds within nine points, 27-18, early in the fourth quarter.
Midway through the fourth, Harvey stole the ball and went the distance for a layup, Flaming put back a rebound, Frey connected on a free throw, and Goertzen dropped in a basket for the final points of the 2008 season.
The Huskies hit 8-10 free throws in the fourth quarter to hold off the Bluebirds, 38-25.
Scoring for the Bluebirds were Frey 11, Flaming and Janzen four, and two points each for Raymond, Harvey, and Goertzen.
The Bluebirds season ended with a record of 7-15.
Only Raymond, 5.5 points per game, will graduate from this group of starters.
