Kimball vs. EV-W, 42-67 In the first game since Christmas break, the Kimball girls’ basketball team fell to Eden Valley-Watkins Thurs-day, Jan. 8. From the opening tip-off, the Cubs had difficulty getting into their offense and looking at the basket. EV-W looked to run throughout the game, taking advantage of every fast-break opportunity. A sluggish second quarter led the Cubs into halftime, trailing the Eagles 43-20. Kimball fought back in the fourth quarter, outscoring EV-W 18-11. Unfortunately, the late surge by the Cubs proved to be too little too late, and EV-W took game 1 of the school rivalry, 67-42. Kimball’s record dropped to 1-5. Melanie Marquardt took the reigns, leading the Cubs in scoring with 23 points, six boards, four steals and four assists. Amelia Hentges got into foul trouble early in the game; she finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds. This was Hentges’ second double-double of the season. Senior Jill Libbesmeier added three points and had a great rebounding game with six boards. Contributing on the defensive front, sophomores Melanie Massmann and Ashley Kunkel cleaned up the boards with seven and six respectively. The girls had a tough battle on their hands as Eden Valley-Watkins came through with loads of talent and experience. We had difficulty finishing our scoring opportunities, and our defense was not as aggressive as it needed to be, especially against a team like EV-W. Our skills are improving, and success will come once all of the components come together. The Kimball girls’ basketball team has three games this week. On Tuesday, Jan. 13, Kimball hosts Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted at 6 p.m. Kimball travels to Holdingford Friday, Jan. 16, for a 6 p.m. contest. The Cubs finish off the week with a Saturday home game, Jan. 17, against Buffalo Lake-Hector with J.V. starting at 3 p.m. Come out and cheer on your Cubs!
