Lady Plainsmen face tough opponents, Paxton and Dundy County Stratton
By Emmalee Parsley Stevens
Grant tribune Sentinel
The Perkins County High School Lady Plainsmen dropped both of their most recent girls basketball games, falling on the road to Paxton before returning home to face a strong Dundy County-Stratton squad.
On Tuesday in Paxton, the Lady Plainsmen were held to a 60-40 loss as the Tigers controlled the pace and the rebounding battle. Perkins County struggled to find consistency from the field, making it difficult to close the gap after halftime.
“We shot an uncharacteristically low field-goal percentage, and that made it difficult to catch up in the second half,” head coach Deanne Bishop said. “Paxton was physical and got themselves in good spots for rebounding opportunities.”
Perkins County returned home Friday to face Dundy County-Stratton, falling 54-44 to a veteran and athletic Tigers squad. DCS jumped out to an early lead before the Lady Plainsmen settled in and mounted a second-half push.
“DCS is a team that’s made it to district finals for the past two years, and they’re also the reigning Girls Class D state track and field champions,” Bishop said. “They’re tall, athletic, and that was evident by their ball pressure and ability to go high-low on the inside.”
Despite the early deficit, Perkins County responded with improved composure and energy after the break.
“After getting behind early, I thought we showed good composure, chipping away at DCS’s lead,” Bishop said. “We came out on the attack in the third quarter and forced DCS to take off their press. We outscored DCS in the second half.”
Bishop said the effort was encouraging as the team continues to develop.
“Overall, I’m pleased by the way the girls battled back,” she said. “We know we can play at a high level. Now it’s a matter of stringing four of those quarters together.”
The Lady Plainsmen are competing in the Perkins County Holiday Tournament as of press time. They defeated Crawford 61-51 in round one and will host Mitchell in round two. Full coverage of the tournament will appear in an upcoming edition of the Grant Tribune-Sentinel.
Perkins County will then return to regular-season action on January 3, hosting a home game scheduled for 4 p.m. at Perkins County High School.