Handled in the Panhandle

Sonja Karp
NLJ Sports Reporter
 
After winter weather limited the Lady Dogies to only two days of practice last week, the crew was challenged to take on Chadron, Nebraska at their house on Saturday. Head coach Chad Ostenson admitted that even he was not feeling as prepared as he would have liked, especially going up against a team of the Lady Cardinals’ caliber, and that lack of confidence showed in the team’s 29-53 point loss.
“We did a lot of good things, but we just weren’t sharp,” Ostenson sighed. “We didn’t necessarily do bad things, but we were just kind of decent. We were okay with turnovers and did okay with rebounding, but we just weren’t in synch, and we were about a half-step off. Unfortunately, against a solid team like Chadron, it doesn’t take long for that situation to result in a 20 point deficit on the scoreboard.”
Despite the fact that the Lady Dogies got down early in the ball game, Ostenson did note that in many of the stat columns, he saw improvement over previous numbers put up by his team.
“Our rebounding was really pretty okay, given they didn’t miss many shots,” he admitted. “And our turnovers were down about eight or nine from what we average, so in that respect, I was happy. Also, though the score showed a pretty lopsided game, and we were never really in it, I don’t feel like we ever quit or rolled over, which is great.” 
Unfortunately, the Lady Dogies really struggled to score against the Nebraska team, with only four players putting up points. 
The Voelker sisters led the team, with Lexus scoring 12 and Mercedes contributing 10. According to Ostenson, though Lauren Steveson remained scoreless on the night, she had one of her best offensive games of the season.
“She didn’t make her shots, but she got herself turned around, squared up, and it looked like she could score anytime,” he nodded. “She really got some good looks, but they just didn’t go in.”
If there is such a thing as a good miss, Steveson’s shots would qualify. According to Ostenson, they all went up with a chance to go in, and he described that as a great step forward because in the past players have had a tendency to rush shots, which limited their potential.
Makenzie Wagoner added five points to her team’s score while Gracy Coy dropped in two to round out the offense for the Lady Dogies. Ostenson admitted that the Voelkers each had a good night, but he went on to note that his team needed to get contributions from more players if they want to see success.
Compounding the offensive struggles of Newcastle, Chadron shot the ball really well as evidenced by their 57 percent shooting on the night. However, their success may have partially been due to a less than aggressive defensive effort by the Lady Dogies.
“We didn’t close out like we should have, though I may not have scouted them the best either,” Ostenson admitted. “They had more shooters than a lot of the teams we play, so when we sagged they took advantage of those open looks and knocked them down.”
Though limited practice may have hampered the Lady Dogies’ performance on Saturday, Ostenson noted it may actually have been a blessing in disguise.
“The girls got an opportunity to rest and heal up a little bit,” he stated. “We still had some nagging injuries that weren’t getting better, but the weather gave us the opportunity to allow some rest to speed up that process.”
Additionally, if this situation had to happen, this was the time for it. The outcome of the contest has no impact on the Lady Dogies as they start coming down the home stretch, and it may have given the squad a needed reminder that practice and hard work are imperative as they finish out the last two weeks of quadrant play.
“We will certainly move on from this one, and learn that even though things had been looking good for us, it’s pretty easy to slide backward without putting the effort in,” Ostenson determined.
This will be a big week for the Lady Dogies beginning with a rematch against Thermopolis in the Dome on Friday which will also be Newcastle’s senior night recognition. The last time these two teams met was the first win of the season for the Lady Dogies, so all are hoping for a repeat the second time around.
“This is a big game, and is one that would sure be nice to win,” Ostenson nodded. “If we can, that will solidify the quadrant standings for Regionals putting us in as the third seed.”
Then on Saturday, the Lady Dogies will head to Buffalo for a rematch against the Lady Bison. The Johnson County team is still holding strong as the second ranked team in 3A with an impressive 14-3 overall record.