The Lady Cardinals Season Comes To A Shocking Conclusion

The Lady Cardinals lost a pair of games in the regular season to Aberdeen.  One by three points and one by two points.  Those five total points came back to haunt the Lady Cardinals in last week’s district tournament games.  If those two games against Aberdeen would have fell their way Soda Springs would have earned a first round bye and set them up on a good path to the championship game but as it was they ended up falling to fourth place and hosting five seed West Side.  The Lady Pirates are a big physical team.  In both regular season meetings with the Lady Pirates the Lady Cardinals were able to come away with wins in competitive games.  In those two regular season matchups the Lady Cardinals were able to use their speed to get the bigs from West Side in foul trouble.  As it goes you never know what you will get from one officiating crew to another.  In the first round game last week the officials seemed content to allow a more physical game that favored the Lady Pirates.  Despite being undersized the Lady Cardinals did not back down but there was only so much they could do against the size and strength of the Lady Pirates.  At the end of the first half of play the game was still in reach with the Lady Cardinals trailing by seven points.  Through the second half of play the Lady Cardinals just could not make up any ground as they watched the Lady Pirates slowly pull away minute by minute.  By the end of the game the Lady Cardinals had conceded the loss sending them to the consolation bracket.  

Ellie Wood drives down the lane in last weeks district playoff game.

In the other opening round game the six seeded Lady Hornets upset the three seeded Lady Trojans.  This meant that the Lady Cardinals would have to hit the road to take on Wendell on their home court.  This game would be a loser out game meaning that whomever lost would see their season come to an end.  With the season on the line both teams gave it their all in this one.  The game was tight and competitive throughout.  Wendell struck first and held a slim lead through the first period of play.  After one the Lady Trojans led the Lady Cardinals by just a single basket.  As the second quarter got underway the Lady Cardinals had the momentum shift to them.  Just ninety seconds into the second the Cardinals earned their first lead of the game.  The Cardinals would hold the slim lead now as the two teams headed into the halftime break.  As the third quarter got going the Lady Cardinals were able to build the lead to as much as seven points.  A late run by the Lady Trojans cut the lead to just four going into the final quarter of play.  In the final three minutes of play there would be several lead changes as the game really tightened up.  In the closing minute of play some tough fifty fifty calls went the way of the Lady Trojans.  With just eighteen seconds left Davis fouled out of the game on a questionable call sending the Lady Trojans to the line.  Wendell would make both foul shots taking a one point lead for the final time.  A last second shot by Gronning was unsuccessful and the Lady Cardinals were eliminated and saw their season come to an end.  Soda Springs had gone from just missing out on the number two seed to becoming the first team eliminated.  It was a heartbreaking end to a terrific season.  The Lady Cardinals say goodbye to a wonderful group of seniors and will now look to their younger girls to come back and compete again next season.