A little unfinished business was taken care of by the Alliance St. Agnes junior high girl’s basketball team on Monday at the Panhandle conference tournament held in Hemingford. In 2022 the Lady Crusaders were well on their way to a conference championship when the tournament was cancelled due to bad weather. St. Agnes came back extra strong on Monday, winning three games and bringing home the title for the first time since 2014. It was been a successful 2023 for the eight seventh and eighth grade girls who were on this year’s team. Back in April St. Agnes won the girl’s track title while in September the Crusaders won the volleyball championship. St. Agnes ends their year with a very impressive record of 11 wins and 2 loses.
The road for the championship began with a first round match up with the Hawks of Hay Springs. First period scores from Alliance’s Kaitlyn Shannon, Reese Armstrong, Hannan Benzel, and Maslin Breen helped the Crusaders gain the first quarter lead at 8 to 4. The second saw St. Agnes pull away. Alliance would outscore the Hawks 17 to 0. Five three throws by Breen and 5 points each by Armstrong and Aubree Shrewsbury gave Alliance a big lead at halftime. Peyton Baker added 2 points in the period as the teams went to half with St. Agnes up 25 to 4.
Many reserves got solid time in the third with the starters saving their energy for the later contests. The Crusaders still outscored Hay Springs 6 to 2 in the quarter. Tallying points in the third for Alliance were: Dawsyn Higgins, Benzel, and Amora Gonzalez. After three quarters of play the Lady Crusaders led 31 to 6. Four more Higgins’ points in the final six minutes led Alliance. Shannon had another bucket and the contest came to a close with Alliance winning 37 to 12
HS 4 0 2 6 12
SA 8 17 6 6 37
Eight Crusaders got into the column led by Breen and Armstrong who garnered seven points each. Higgins added 6 with Shrewsbury good for 5 while scoring 4 apiece were Benzel and Shannon. Rounding out the scoring with 2 points were Baker and Gonzalez.
St. Agnes’ toughest game would be in the semifinals against the Rams from Crawford. The Rams grabbed the early first period lead at 6 to 5. St. Agnes would received first quarter scores from Shannon and Armstrong to keep close. Both team’s defense again would be stout in the second. St. Agnes would hold the Rams to just 3 points while getting four points on scores by Shrewsbury and Armstrong. At half the score was tied at 9.
Crawford held the upper hand in period #3. The Rams would muster 7 points to take the lead heading in the final quarter. Scores by Baker, Armstrong, and Benzel helped kept Alliance within striking distance. Heading to the fourth St, Agnes trailed 16 to 15. A huge Benzel three gave Alliance the early lead in the final period. St. Agnes would also get another bucket by Benzel, a free throw by Armstrong, and a basket by Shannon to pull away. Crawford would only score two points in the period as the Crusaders moved on the championship game with a 23 to 18 win.
CRAW 6 3 7 2 18
SA 5 4 6 8 23
The five St, Agnes players got into the scoring column led by 8 by Benzel. Armstrong added seven while scoring 4 was Shannon. Adding 2 each were Baker and Breen.
St. Agnes would then face the Lions from Morrill in the title match. Morrill made the championship game by downing the host Bobcats from Hemingford in triple overtime in the other semifinal contest. Alliance would lead after every period to take the title. In the first the Lady Crusaders would get 4 quick points by Armstrong to surge ahead. A bucket by Benzel helped Alliance move ahead 6 to 4 after one. Eight big second quarter points by Armstrong increased the Alliance margin in the second. Baker added a hoop and the teams went to half with Alliance up 16 to 8.
Morrill would score only a free throw in the third as Alliance would build a double digit lead. Baskets by Breen and Shrewsbury made the score 20 to 9 heading into the final stanza. Four Crusaders would score in the final period with Alliance getting baskets by: Aubrey Dudden, Shannon, Higgins, and Gonzalez. Final Alliance 28 Morrill 14
MOR 4 4 1 5 14
SA 6 10 4 8 28
Twelve points by Armstrong led the Alliance offense. Scoring 2 points each were: Baker, Dudden, Shannon, Higgins, Gonzalez, Benzel, Breen, and Shrewbury.