Despite shooting slump, Wellington girls roll past Circle 59-37 for 15th straight win
Lyndi Barton drives the hoop vs. Circle.
by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow – The Wellington girls had one of those nights when almost everything it shot wouldn’t go in. Yet they still won by 22 points and scored 59 points in the process.
Wellington improved to 15-0 and picked up its 39th straight regular-season win with a 59-37 against Circle.
The Crusaders came into the game expecting a tussle against the improving Thunderbirds. They got just that. But they still outscored their opponents in all four quarters.
“This is a team that has been beating teams badly,” said Eric Adams, Wellington’s head girls’ basketball coach. “They beat Rose Hill by 40 points and El Dorado by 32. We knew we had our work cut out for us.”
Britt Zeka double-teamed by Circle players.
Maybe. Wellington clearly won the floor and rebounding battle. It found its way to the basket more and got itself to the line more often, going 18-of-24 compared to Circle’s 8-of-16.
The only thing that kept this game somewhat interesting was Wellington’s cold shooting – hitting about 25 percent, Adams estimated.
Wellington took a 12-8 first-quarter lead and opened up a 25-16 advantage by halftime. Sparked by Valorie Norwood’s 10 points in the third quarter — including one sequence when she stole the ball, brought the ball back over half-court, and penetrated into the paint for a layup — the Crusaders expanded the lead to 49-33 at the end of the third. The Crusaders would cruise onto a 22-point win.
Norwood led all scorers with 19. Ashlyn Gerten had 12, and Kylan Gregory 11.
This marked the first time Wellington was at home in three weeks ago against Andale on Jan. 13.
“It was good to be home,” Adams said. “You know your routines, your surroundings, your rims. I was proud of the girls despite not making many shots.”
Wellington now embarks on the second stage of the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Div. IV is hoping to get another banner on the gymnasium wall. They will travel to El Dorado on Friday.
Wellington 59 Circle 37
Circle — 8 8 17 4 — 37
Wellington – 12 13 24 10 — 59
Circle: Thornton 11, Vogts 8, Marley 6, Johnson 4, Swilley 3, Coble 3, Soto 2. Total: 10 (3) 8-16 37. Wellington: Norwood 19, Gerten 12, Gregory 11, Zeka 7, Barton 5, Goodrum 3, Nance 2. Total: 13 (5) 18-24 59.
