Britt Zeka leads Wellington with 21 points Friday night. (Photos by Eric Rinehart).

by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — The 2021-22 Wellington girls basketball team became only the second to have swept Andale in a single season. Subsequently, the Lady Dukes are closing in for their second Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League Championship ever.

Wellington defeated Andale 46-34 Friday night to run its record to 16-0. The boys would lose 57-33 to fall to 6-10.

In front of a loud, packed gymnasium – one of the best home atmospheres in years – the Wellington girls got better as the night progressed. Facing an uncharacteristic six-point deficit in the first quarter after clearly getting out-shot and out-rebounded, the Crusaders would eventually take the lead and end up dominating their visitors in black and gold for a double-digit victory.

“Mentally, we just kept coming out, staying with them,” said Eric Adams, Wellington head girls basketball coach. “It wasn’t our best shooting night. Andale’s defense had a lot to do with it. Our girls just found other ways to score.”

Adams said a tweak of the defense to start the second half, sparked the Crusader surge. Once Wellington settled into its defensive groove, that eventually opened up Wellington’s dribble down offense. Once that occurred the Crusaders sprinted to the finish line. Wellington would allow two Andale field goals in the second half and didn’t allow a basket in the fourth quarter. Andale’s lone source of scoring in the fourth quarter was free throws.

Ashlyn Gerten vs. Andale.

Andale was without the services of junior McKenzie Fairchild, who did not make the trip. Whether she would have made a difference for Andale will always be an unknown.

Wellington freshman Britt Zeka came to play, throwing down five 3-pointers en route to a 21-point performance. Fellow freshman Valerie Norwood got 9 points, doing so after picking up three quick fouls in the early going of the first half.

The Crusaders had every opportunity to fizzle early. Not only was Norwood in foul trouble but Wellington senior Airalyn Frame was stringently guarded inside. Normally she scores in the double figures. She was held to 3 points Friday night.

Valerie Norwood vs. Andale.

Andale was tenacious in the early going – methodically passing the ball around and never allowing Wellington a second-chance bucket on the other end. Andale built an 11-5 lead and was up 11-9 at the end of the first quarter.

The Crusaders kept fighting. B. Zeka sunk a three right before half and Wellington had the game tied at 21 after trailing throughout.

Wellington’s first lead came courtesy of B. Zeka with another trey at the 4:20 mark of the third. There was only one lead change in this game and that was it.

The Crusaders led 29-27 going into the fourth.

Wellington teacher Ross Foley led the spirited student section. 

The fourth quarter looked, typical Crusaders. Wellington was not allowing a shot and was getting plenty of transitional points on the other end. By the 4-minute mark, it was 40-30. There was no looking back thereafter.

The Crusaders are now 16-0 overall and 5-0 in the AV-CTL DIV. It would have to do some significant crashing and burning to lose the league. Wellington now holds a two-game lead over Clearwater which is the only team that could tie them as co-champs. Andale is pretty much out because of it being swept by Wellington. Here are the standings.

Wellington 46 Andale 34 
Andale –             11    10    6     7  —  34
Wellington –      9     12    8   17—    46
Andale: Winter 9, Gorges 7, Ke. Wegerer 7, Kuepker 7, Kerchen 1, Seiler 1. Total: 7 (2) 14-22 34. Wellington: B. Zeka 21, Norwood 9, Reichenberger 4, A. Zeka 4, Nance 4, Frame 3, Gerten 1. Total: 12 (5) 7-11 46.

For more pictures by Eric Rinehart click here.

On a side note, Wellington girls wore black “Coach A” shirts for Andale head coach Ted Anderson who died a couple weeks ago.

Malachi Rogers vs. Andale

The Wellington boys lost to Andale, the No. 7 team in Class 4A, 57-33. The Crusaders have been competitive since the New Year, but Friday was a clunker.

Andale built a 20-10 first-quarter lead and led 34-18 at the half. The Crusaders’ late second-quarter shooting was some of the worst fans could witness. Both teams scored 9 points in the third quarter as Wellington kept the Andale lead marginally close. The Indians would outscore the Crusaders 14-6 in the fourth quarter.

Wellington is now 6-10 overall and 1-5 in the AV-CTL DIV. The Crusaders host Rose Hill on Tuesday.

Andale 57 Wellington 33
Andale –             20    14    9   14  —  57
Wellington –      10      8    9    6  —  33
Andale: Spexarth 17, Bruce 11, Nemechek 7,  Reichenberger 6, Winter 4, Orth 3, Potucek 3, Seiler 3, Bratten 3. Total 15 (5) 12-20 57. Wellington: Hinshaw 10, Clift 7, Rogers 6, Tate 4, Swingle 4. Total: 11 (1) 8-11 33.

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