St. Francis Wolves Snap a 3-Game Losing Streak

By: Jennifer Blardonis and Regan Staudt

The 11-7 Saint Francis Wolves varsity girl’s basketball team faced off against the 7-15 Chiefland Indians in a hard-fought game on Tuesday night. The Wolves, coming off a three-game losing streak, were determined to get back on track and secure a win.

Slow Start 

Saint Francis put up a strong performance during the first half. The first quarter was more of a defensive effort as they held the Indians to two baskets but only had six points themselves. The wolves never lost hope and fought for more points in the second quarter. Lexi Bhatia hit two threes in the second quarter to give her team a ten-point lead at the half, making it 16-6 Wolves. 

The game was very much dominated by the wolves for the better part of the first half. Allie Dey led the team in rebounds, helping to set her team up for offensive second chances. 

Wolves Hold On

The second half started slow for the Wolves, and the Indians doubled their points in the third, outscoring the wolves 9-8. Indians made a late push in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to just 1 point, but there was not enough time.

The Wolves relied on their defense and held on for a 34-27 victory, snapping their losing streak and improving their record to 11-8. Bhatia led the way with 15 points, while Dey recorded a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Head coach Josh Kerkau reflects on his team’s effort after the game, stating, “What happened tonight has happened a couple of other games, and we were not able to hold on…I am really proud of my girls. They have learned from those mistakes and stepped up to make plays that had to happen today.”

Captain and leading scorer Lexi Bhatia discusses what led to their success, saying, “our defense mainly aided in our success today because on offense we were kind of struggling…we had to really focus on defense and tagging the other teams best players.”  

The Wolves will look to keep the momentum and finish the season strong before Playoffs begin on January 31st.

Final Score: Wolves 34-27 W