With a split in the first week of games, with a road win to open the season but falling in the home opener, the Clifton-Clyde girls basketball team prepares for the preseason Herington tournament to end the calendar year.
Versus Sacred Heart, the Eagles fell 59-39.
Sacred Heart opened the game up with an 8-0 run, with the Eagles getting their first points with 3:01 remaining with a pair of Sevy Wurtz free throws. Clifton-Clyde scored two more baskets, but the Sacred Heart offense kept converting shots, as the Knights led 23-7 after one quarter.
The Eagles found more of a groove in the second quarter, with a trio of baskets in the first three minutes of the quarter, but the Knights regained their footing and kept the Eagles from cutting the lead to single digits. With a three at the buzzer, Sacred Heart went into the locker room up 33-19.
Sacred Heart was able to keep their cushion over the Eagles, but Clifton-Clyde’s effort never waned. The Eagles were flying around on defense and got quality looks on the offensive end, as the Eagles trailed 50-31 after three quarters played. In the fourth quarter, the Knights were able to coast as the Eagles ran out of gas, with only 17 total points scored as the Eagles fell 59-39.
Against Republic County, the Eagles won 47-38.
The Eagles came out of the gates red hot with an 11-2 run in the first half of the first quarter. Republic County was able to chip the lead down and held the Eagles to only three points in the second half of the first quarter, as the Eagles ended the first quarter up 14-7.
Neither offense could gain momentum to start the second quarter, with only five points scored by both teams in the first four minutes of the quarter, three by the Eagles and two by the Buffaloes. Both offenses finally got into a groove, with the Eagles holding a seven-point advantage at halftime, 22-15.
With both teams finally able to score on a regular basis, the Eagles were able to keep the Buffaloes at arm’s reach in the third quarter, getting the lead up to nine to close the quarter up 32-23. As Republic County tried to fight back into the game, the Eagles kept the pressure on the Buffaloes and were able to match the quarter scoring 15-15, to keep the cushion and pick up the first win of the season.
