Yuma High School’s girls basketball team gave itself a Christmas present in the form of a win before the holiday break.
Yuma finished December with a 1-2 record, getting in the win column Saturday afternoon in The “Ice” Pit with a 36-27 decision over Heritage Christian.
“It’s nice to get a win, especially considering the situation,” head coach Jeremy Robinson said.
It was Yuma’s first game since the previous Wednesday, having two of three games last week postponed due to weather and road conditions. First came last Tuesday’s home game against Brush. Yuma was supposed to host the Yuma Holiday Tournament on Friday and Saturday. However, the weather conditions led to Sterling not coming, resulting in they tourney being canceled.
Instead, Yuma was going to host Limon on Friday, and then Heritage Christian on Saturday. However, the wind and frigid conditions continued Friday, so the Limon games were postponed.
Yuma also had its season-opener against Manual delayed due to high winds and blowing dirt.
All three home games have been rescheduled.
Manual will visit on Tuesday, January 3, the day YHS comes back from the holiday break. Brush will visit on January 10, and Limon on January 17.
Yuma’s schedule initially showed two games with Sedgwick County. However, the January 6 date was incorrect, so Yuma will visit the Cougars only on February 9.
The former Tribe finally got back onto the court last Saturday afternoon when Heritage Christian, out of Fort Collins, made it to town.
Yuma won despite shooting only 28 percent, including making only one of 15 attempts behind the 3-point line.
“It needs to come around, as far as the shooting goes,” Robinson said. “We shoot in practice, but maybe that’s all we need to do in practice is shoot.”
However, the defense was plenty solid, holding the Eagles to low shooting from the field. Heritage Christian did not make a field goal in the second half, all nine of its points coming from the charity stripe.
“They did a way better job with the help defense,” Robinson said. “I don’t know if we were locked in better, or if we were just more fresh.”
Yuma went on a 9-0 run in the first quarter, but the Eagles closed the stanza with four straight, cutting Yuma’s lead to 9-7.
The home girls kept the lead for most of the second quarter, but the Eagles scored five straight for an 18-16 lead, but Yuma came right back with a 5-0 spurt to lead 21-18 at halftime.
Heritage Christian then was held to two free throws in the third as Yuma built a 30-20 lead.
The Yuma girls pushed it to 34-20 early in the fourth. Heritage Christian scored six straight at the line to get within 34-26, but was as close as the visitors would get.
Robinson said he gladly accepted the win, particularly considering the team had hardly practiced all week and not in game shape. The team constantly substituted four or five players at a time.
“That’s kind of why we did the hockey line change,” he said. “Maybe we’re going to look at that a little more in depth…That’s what I did this summer and they did extremely well.”
Lea Richardson had seven points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals, Ashley Ibanez six points and two rebounds, Alina Moran six points and 10 rebounds, Liddy Day five points, three rebounds and three steals, Jade Lungwitz five points and two rebounds, Caddis Robinson three points and six rebounds, Jailyn Mekelburg two points and five rebounds, Jazmine Sotelo two points and two steals, and Emma Rayl four rebounds and two assists.
Robinson said the focus during holiday practices will be getting more aggressive on offense with the dribble to help create passing lanes and more open looks.
