Our junior varsity team this season is made up of two juniors Denzel Atherton and Ariel Laabs, four sophomores Emily Utecht, Alexa Ruehle, Kate Loehrer and Alyssa Zabinski, along with three freshmen, Abbey Schiefelbein, Kenzie Leither and Katie Merchant. The season started Dec. 2, with a home game versus the Royalton Royals and we got off to a quick start, Leither scored 12 and Utecht added 10, Laabs 7, Atherton 5, Merchant 4, Schiefelbein 3 and Ruehle and Loehrer scored 2. The team held Royalton to only 5 second-half points. We went on to win the non-conference opener, 47-22, behind good team defense.
On Dec. 4, the JV lady Cubs hosted Ogilvie and it was more of the same from our defense, allowing only 16 points while scoring 59. We were led in scoring by Merchant with 12, Laabs had 11, Ruehle drained 10, Leither 9, Utecht 7, Schiefelbein 5, Atherton 4 and Loehrer 1.
Kimball took to the road Tuesday, Dec. 9, to battle the Bulldogs of Swanville. It was much of the same as Kenzie Leither lit up the scoreboard, with a game high 26. She put an exclamation on the evening by making all eight of her free-throw attempts. Another second half defensive
stand, which is part of our game goals, held them to just 9 points. Utecht finished with a solid 16, Schiefelbein added another 7, Merchant 3, Laabs 2 and Ruehle 1, to seal the victory 55-33.
The lady Cubs returned home to host an explosive Milaca team that gave us fits last season. They jumped ahead quickly to start the game and we continued to fight back to trail only by 5 at the half, 24-29. The team did not lose hope and made a game of it, even taking a one-point lead with 5:51 to go, 50-49. But foul trouble and excellent outside shooting by freshman Ellie Banks and her 24 points, sent Kimball to its first loss of the season. Leither finished with 17, Utecht 13, Schiefelbein added 11, Atherton poured in 10, Merchant 5 and Laabs 2, as the Wolves sealed the victory, 65-58. I was very proud of our effort and even prouder of how our girls would respond as we met another challenge the very next night at Dassel-Cokato.
Fresh legs on an early-season back-to-back game night is difficult, and coming off a mentally and physically draining game the night before, it is even tougher. We traveled to take on the Chargers in Dassel-Cokato on Friday, Dec. 12. We got going offensively behind Leither and her 17, but defensively we were able to hold them to long, empty possessions that eventually allowed us to bring home the win, 35-28. Utecht scored 8, Merchant 5, Atherton 4 and Ruehle 1.
The Kimball girls?Äô junior varsity hosts the Pierz Pioneers Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 6 p.m., and the B-B-E Jaguars Friday, Dec. 19, at
6 p.m. Come out and support these girls as we open the conference season at home this week. Thank you for supporting Kimball girls?Äô basketball.
Kenzie Leither, on Kimball?Äôs girls?Äô JV team, lays one up for 2 during the home opener against Royalton. Staff photo by Marguerite Laabs.