Osage City girls fall to Royal Valley in Flint Hills Shootout championship
Ken Easthouse
Monday, January 22, 2007
Despite a 9-1 run in the fourth quarter, Osage City couldn’t catch Royal Valley in a 41-36 loss in the championship game of the Flint Hills Shootout on Saturday.
The Lady Indians were down 35-25 entering the fourth quarter, but coach Chris Kirkpatrick said he was confident his team could come back.
“I told them if anyone thinks this game is over, let me know and you can sit next to me on the bench,” Kirkpatrick said.
Senior Miranda Bryan in particular was motivated, knowing the team had not lost in this tournament since she and the rest of the seniors joined the team as freshmen.
“I was thinking we’ve won this every year I’ve been in high school,” Bryan said, “and I just wanted to win again.”
Royal Valley did not score a field goal the entire fourth quarter, but instead went 6-for-10 from the free-throw line to maintain its lead. For Osage City, Bryan led the comeback, as her 3-pointer with just more than 2 minutes remaining pulled the Lady Indians to within four. It wouldn’t be enough to complete the comeback.
“She (Bryan) did a good job in the fourth quarter,” Kirkpatrick said. “She wasn’t as aggressive as she normally was early.”
Osage City’s offense struggled in the second quarter, when senior forward Katie Buenger received her second foul early in the period. The Lady Indians only scored one basket that quarter, and only managed to avoid a blowout by shooting a perfect 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.
“We couldn’t get anything to go,” Bryan said. “Even short shots we couldn’t get to go.”
Kirkpatrick said the game might have been different if Buenger had been in the game for the second quarter.
“She knew she was in foul trouble, and she went for (a) block,” Kirkpatrick said. “Ninety percent of the time they’re going to call that. She’s got to do a better job of realizing that.”
Both Bryan and Buenger drew defensive assignments against Royal Valley senior Tara Mitchell, who led her team with 19 points. Her long wing span led to several steals, blocks and rebounds over a smaller Osage City squad.
“She was a really good player,” Buenger said. “Me and Miranda (sic) both switched off on her.”
Kirkpatrick said he was initially worried how his freshman point guard Katie Schroeder would hold up against Royal Valley’s Ramona Nozhackum, a known shooter who participated in the three-point contest prior to the game.
Instead, Schroeder shut Nozhackum down, allowing her no field goals throughout the game.
“I was concerned about it a little bit, but she did a good job,” Kirkpatrick said. “I’d like to see her push the ball up the floor a little bit more.”
Both Bryan and Buenger were named to the All-Tournament team, but both said they would have traded the honor for the championship trophy.
“I would much rather have the win,” Bryan said.
In the third-place game, Wabaunsee jumped out to a 22-11 lead over Herington and never looked back in a 62-50 victory over the Lady Railers. Lindsey Deiter led Wabaunsee with 22 points, while Crysta Brockmeier led Herington with 21 points. Kristin Kleinschmidt added 17 points for the Lady Railers.
In the consolation championship, Mission Valley defeated Eureka, 39-32, on the strength of 15 points from Vanessa Finlay.
ROYAL VALLEY girls 41, OSAGE CITY 36
Royal Valley 10 10 15 6 — 41
Osage City 8 10 7 11 — 36
Royal Valley (8-3) — Jessepe 2, Nozhackum 1, Michell 19, Brown 8, Barger 4, Danielsen 7.
Osage City (9-2) — Schroeder 4, Johnson 1, Paul 4, Bryan 16, Reed 4, Buenger 7.
Halftime — RV 20-18. Total fouls — RV 17, OC 17. Fouled out — Danielsen.