Yuma High School’s girls basketball team should be ready for the rigors of the postseason by the time the regular season concludes.
Thanks to multiple rescheduled games, Yuma is in the middle of playing nine games in three weeks — three last week, three this week and three more next week. Each week is three games in four days.
“I guess if there’s a silver lining, district and state are the same way,” coach Jeremy Robinson said.
Yuma saw its nine-game winning streak snapped with losses at Sidney, Nebraska, last Wednesday, and at Wiggins last Friday.
The former Indians began trying to turn it around this past Tuesday at home against Class 3A Strasburg, then have a pair of Lower Platte games at Sedgwick County and Merino, Thursday and Friday. Sedgwick County is highly ranked in 2A, and Merino is No. 1 in the 2A RPI and Top 10.
They then turn around and play at Caliche on Tuesday for their final league game, and host 3A top-ranked Peyton on Wednesday in a rescheduled game.
“It’s just such a challenge trying to save legs,” Robinson said. “This is a tough week where we just need to try to grind out some wins.”
Yuma remained in good shape entering this week, 9-4 overall and 4-1 in league play. The team was No. 4 in the 3A RPI and No. 7 in the coaches poll (CHSAANow.com). They improved to 10-4 with a gritty 42-38 win over Strasburg, Tuesday night in The Pit.
The local girls finally ran into a rough half over the final two quarters at Wiggins, dropping a 46-33 decision after leading at halftime. The Tigers are ranked No. 2 in the 2A RPI and Top 10.
The teams put on a good battle in the first half. They were tied at 8 after the first quarter. It seemed Yuma would start to pull away, taking a 17-11 lead, but the Tigers quickly tied it up and it stayed that way.
Yuma led 25-23 at halftime.
It was all Wiggins in the second half, though.
The Tigers scored the first five points in the third. Emma Rayl’s trey tied the score at 28, but Wiggins closed the quarter on a 6-0 run, which extended to a 10-0 run to start the fourth. Yuma never could get closer than eight points the rest of the way, getting outscored 23-8 in the second half.
Perhaps it was partly due to playing their third game in four days, but the Yuma girls had several good looks at the basket that just would not drop, while Wiggins played very well.
Yuma shot 24 percent, making just 11 of 45, while Wiggins shot 40 percent, making 17 of 42.
“Sometimes you have a game where you just don’t shoot the ball well,” Robinson said. “And Wiggins did a good job.”
Rayl had 10 points and five rebounds, Lea Richardson eight points and eight rebounds, Caddis Robinson six points and eight rebounds, Ashley Ibanez four points and four rebounds, Jailyn Mekelburg two points and six rebounds, Alina Moran two points and six rebounds, Lyndsey Mekelburg one point and three rebounds, and Liddy Day four rebounds.
After a strong win over Limon last Tuesday at home, Yuma traveled to Sidney, Nebraska, the next day to take on a one-loss Red Raiders squad.
The Yuma girls have had their struggles against the Red Raiders through the years, but actually fought to a 15-14 lead in the first quarter. Sidney started to take control, but Yuma still trailed just 32-26 at halftime.
However, the Red Raiders blitzed Yuma 22-5 in the third, eventually handing the Yuma gang a 66-41 loss.
“That’s the first time we have even competed with them, at least in the first half,” Robinson said. “They’re just good.”
Richardson had 10 points, nine rebounds and four assists, Day nine points, Ibanez seven points and seven rebounds, Robinson seven points and seven rebounds, Jade Lungwitz four points, Moran two points and 12 rebounds, Rayl two points and four rebounds, L. Mekelburg six rebounds, Bailey Nighswonger two rebounds, Carolina Ross two rebounds, and J. Mekelburg one rebound.
Yuma was back in The Pit this past Tuesday to host the Strasburg Indians. It took the whole team to pull out the four-point win.
The home girls had a terrible start as Strasburg ran out to a 13-2 lead. However, they then went on an 18-6 run for a 20-19 halftime lead. The teams were tied at 28 after three quarters, and Strasburg scored the first four points in the fourth.
However, Yuma kept battling, finally taking a 38-36 lead on J. Mekelburg’s inside bucket off a nice baseline assist from Richardson. Ibanez and Rayl then made two free throws each in the final seconds to secure the win. Richardson and Rayl spent much of the game on the bench in foul trouble, but everybody stepped up to make a difference as Robinson went even deeper into the bench than usual.
C. Robinson had 12 points and five rebounds, Rayl five points and two rebounds, L. Mekelburg five points and two rebounds, Day five points, Ibanez four points, three assists and two rebounds, Mekelburg four points and two rebounds, Carolina Ross three points, Lungwitz three points, and Richardson one point and two steals.
