The Lady Cardinals Hit The Hardwood

It feels like the fall sports season has barely ended and just like that we are into the winter sports.  The first team to compete this season were the Soda Springs Lady Cardinals basketball team.  The Lady Cardinals hosted a pair of home games to open up their season last weekend.   They started the season taking on the Lady Bulldogs from Ririe.  As the game got underway the Lady Bulldogs caught fire early and often in this game.  Despite their best efforts the Lady Cardinals could not stop the outside shooting of the Bulldogs.  By the end of the first quarter Ririe had put in four three point shots and had an impressive point total of nineteen.  The Lady Bulldogs continued to be hot from beyond the arch adding five more three point shots in the second quarter.  As friendly as the hoop was on Ririe’s end it seemed to have a lid on it for the Lady Cardinals.  By the halftime break the Cardinals had only managed to make three total field goals and were four for six from the charity stripe.  At the break the Cardinals trailed by twenty-three points.  In the second half the Lady Bulldogs three point shooting slowed down but they continued to score from other spots on the court.  The Lady Cardinals on the other hand continued to struggle to get the ball in the hoop scoring nine points in the third and finished with just three points in the fourth.  The Lady Bulldogs ran away with this game winning 58-25.

Courtnee Gronning hits a three point shot on her way to leading the Lady Cardinals to a win over American Falls.

Determined to redeem themselves from their Friday night loss the Lady Cardinals next hosted the American Falls Beavers on Saturday.  If you are a fan of old school hard nosed basketball this was the game for you.  The two teams slugged it out, almost literally at times, all game long.  The Lady Beavers had a slight size advantage but tough play under the basket by Maddilyn Kempe and Rosie Harris showed that the Cardinals weren't backing down.  The game was competitive and low scoring in the first half.  Soda Springs grabbed an early slim lead and held it through much of the first half.  At the end of the first quarter the Lady Cardinals led by two and increased the lead to five at the halftime break.  In the second half despite some minor struggles at the foul line the Lady Cardinals continued to build on their lead as they began to heat up from the outside.  Jayden Parker, Courtnee Gronning, and Ellie Wood all hit three point shots in the second half as the Lady Cardinals slowly pulled away from American Falls.  The Lady Cardinals won the game by the score of 40-27.

The Lady Cardinals now with a 1-1 record hit the road this week.  Soda Springs will travel to the western half of the state to take on two district three teams in Melba and Parma.  Those games will be on Friday and Saturday.

Cardinals 9 4 9 3 25

Bulldogs 19 17 15 7 58

C.Gronning 14, R.Harris 5, M.Kempe 2, A.Davis 2, J.Tingey 2

Cardinals 8 10 12 10 40

Beavers 6 7 8 6 27

J.Parker 5, C.Gronning 16, R.Harris 3, M.Kempe 3, A.Davis 8, E.Wood 5