The West Platte girls basketball team held a narrow lead for most of the night on Jan. 19, closing out a 39-36 non-conference victory against Bishop LeBlond on home court.
“We did a lot of the things we talked about,” West Platte head coach McKenzie Reagan said. “Defensively, we did a really good job, especially since we were outsized in certain ways. Offensively, we had some lulls for sure, but felt like we had a lot of people going downhill trying to get good looks.”
West Platte opened up an early 5-0 lead when Blair McHenry first announced her dominant presence, scoring an early bucket before knocking down a 3-pointer. After LeBlond got on the board, freshman Nora Meyerkorth hit a triple to make it 8-2, giving West Platte the biggest lead they would have all night.
Bishop LeBlond cut the lead down to 8-4 before the first quarter concluded, later making it a one-possession game early in the second quarter. Catelyn Carlson provided West Platte’s offensive spark in the second quarter with a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws, but LeBlond had the answer by taking a 13-12 lead going into halftime.
West Platte placed its focus on dominating the board and getting better ball circulation in the second half while pushing the floor. It was an effort that helped them pull through.
The Blue Jays’ defense came up big in the third quarter, not allowing any field goals to Bishop LeBlond. McHenry pushed West Platte back in front before another Carlson triple and a bucket from Sophie Grier put the Blue Jays up 25-20 after the third quarter.
LeBlond’s offense rose back to life in the fourth quarter when they put 16 on the board, but it was not enough to overcome West Platte’s 14-point showing in the final frame. The Eagles cut the deficit to 25-23 until a triple from Meyerkorth gave the Blue Jays some breathing space.
Still, LeBlond wouldn’t go away, tying the game at 33-33 with 2:25 left in the contest. McHenry came down with a pair of offensive rebounds before scoring the go-ahead basket with more than two minutes remaining.
Meyerkorth shot a pair of clutch free throws in the final minute to make it a two-possession game, but a triple from the Eagles cut the deficit to 38-36. While McHenry was unable to hit free throws, Grier grabbed the offensive board and got herself to the line, hitting 1 of 2 shots to make it 39-36.
With less than 8 seconds left, Bishop LeBlond raced up the court looking for the game-tying 3-pointer, but freshman Jaylee Carlson got a critical block as time expired.
The win against Bishop LeBlond was West Platte’s third consecutive win, previously defeating Penney and Cameron in the Lawson Invitational.
“We’re just looking to build on this,” Reagan said. “Being able to switch up what we do defensively constantly in games. I feel like we do well with that, and continuing to have other people looking to score here and there to help lighten the load for everybody.”
West Platte extended their winning streak to four straight on Jan. 23, when they routed Penney 60-30. Reagans is pleased with the way her team has been playing now that some freshmen have become more comfortable contributing more regularly.
“I feel like everyone has recently meshed into their roles,” Reagan said. “Our freshmen have really stepped up the last couple of games, and helped out in numerous ways offensively and defensively, which allows other players to do their own roles too.”
The Blue Jays are now 9-7 on the season as they move into the North Platte Invitational Jan. 26-31. They return home to face South Holt on Feb. 2 before a four-game road swing.