Wellington girls improve to 14-0 with win at El Dorado; boys fall 64-60

February 05, 2022 Cueball

Sumner Newscow report — The Wellington girls improved to 14-0 with an easy win over El Dorado. The boys lost a close one to the Wildcats 64-60.

The Wellington girls dismantled El Dorado in easy fashion, 65-17. El Dorado has been struggling having just broken a losing streak that lasted 711 days on Tuesday against Rose Hill. The Wildcats were not competitive against Wellington.

The Crusaders opened the game much like it did against Collegiate and Wichita North in previous games. They nailed 3-pointers, created steals, and made shots on the transition. It was 21-2 at the end of the first quarter.

Wellington made it 24-2 at the 6:38 mark of the second quarter and held a 40-8 advantage at the half.

The Crusaders were up 53-17 at the end of three quarters and would end the game with 48-point victory. In the past four games, the Wellington defense held its opponent to 11, 19, 28, and 17 points.

Britt Zeka led Wellington with 13 points. Airalyn Frame had 12, Valorie Norwood 12, Ali Zeka 11, Ella Goodrum 4, Madi Nance 4, Kami Reichenberger 3, Ashlyn Gerten 3, Katelyn Kessler 3.

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In the boys game, it was a barn burner with Wellington up as many as eight points in the first quarter but fell behind in the second and chased El Dorado most of the rest of the way.

Wellington had earlier lost to this same team 68-55 at home in the second game of the season.

“We had our chances to come out with a win,” said Joe Newman, Wellington head boys basketball coach. “We battled all night and gave ourselves a chance at the end. Unfortunately, we came up short.”

The Crusaders led 18-16 at the end of the first but saw the Wildcats outscore them 17-9 in the second to trail 33-27 at the half.

The two teams got into a 3-point contest midway through third with treys on simultaneous possessions. The Crusaders tied the game and then took the lead with 17.7 left in the third quarter 42-40.

But El Dorado’s Jaydon Sundgren, who also damaged Wellington in football, put the Wildcats up in front for good 45-40.

El Dorado led 54-48 at the 4:31 mark. But the Crusaders, who were on a three-game winning streak going in, wouldn’t wilt. Banks Hinshaw hit a three to pull within two 62-60 with 28 seconds left. Then Wellington nearly got another steal only to be called for a foul.

El Dorado would win it with a bucket down the stretch.

The loss drops Wellington to 6-8.

The Crusaders will finally, FINALLY!, play a home game for the first time in over a month when it hosts Collegiate on Tuesday in a make-up game from January. They will then host Andale on homecoming weekend.