Girls topple Newell to snap losing skid

 A tough week ended on a positive note for the Custer High School girls basketball team last Saturday as the Wildcats traveled to Newell and defeated the previously unbeaten Irrigators 49-41. The win snapped a three-game losing streak for the Wildcats.
“It was a good win for us. We played well, shot the ball well and got some stuff in transition,” head coach Mick Patzlaff said.
Newell was 6-0 headed into the game against fellow Class B schools. The Wildcats wasted little time taking charge, however, as they were up by as much as 22 points in the third quarter before cruising down the stretch and committing some late turnovers.
The Wildcats didn’t get much in the way of post points due to foul trouble, which also led to a healthy rotation of bench players playing extended minutes, with Patzlaff saying players such as Emily Borkowski, Shaylee Gramkow and Jordyn Larsen all played solid defense when needed. The defensive effort included holding Newell’s all-state post Kayden Steele to 13 points.
“We are getting better and better defensively. By the end of the year we have a chance to be a very good defensive team,” Patzlaff said.
Ally Cass was the team’s leading scorer in the game with 15 points. Ramsey Karim added 12 and Alice Sedlacek rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11.
Last Thursday the girls were back in the Armory for a Black Hills Conference matchup with the Hill City Rangers, a game the Rangers pulled away in to win 68-35.
The Wildcats started slowly, finding themselves down 9-0 early following a Kadyn Comer three-pointer. After another Hill City three put the Wildcats behind 12-1, the Allie-and- Ally duo of Allie Kelley and Ally Cass tried to turn the tide, as Kelley hit a three-pointer, Cass hit a three of her own and Kelley made a basket on which she was fouled and made the free throw to make the score 18-12 in favor of Hill City.
“We were knocking down some outside shots. When you play good defense and knock down some shots you can stay in it,” Patzlaff said.
Abby Siemonsma answered with a three-pointer for the Rangers and another Ranger basket as time expired in the first quarter put the visitors up 23-12.
Custer continued to battle, but every Wildcat score was answered by a Ranger basket or two. A Cass drive for a basket was answered by a Comer drive and dish for two, and a few minutes later Kailtyn Spring connected from three-point range to pull Custer within 31-18, only to see Siemonsma hit a three-pointer and Comer grab a steal and dish to a teammate for a 40-18 lead.
“It wasn’t like they were completely shutting us down; we just didn’t score enough to stay in the game,” Patzlaff said. “We did a lot of good things in that game, but we just aren’t at their level right now.”
The Wildcats made one last attempt to get back into the game late in the third quarter via the three-pointer, as Sedlacek hit a three that was followed by a pair of Cass triples to make the score 50-33 in favor of Hill City. That was as close as the Wildcats would get, however, as midway through the fourth quarter the Rangers were up 30 and a running clock had started.
The Rangers had their way in the paint in the game, as they scored 42 points inside to Custer’s eight. Part of the reason for that was Custer’s starting post, Kellyn Kortemeyer, spent most of the game in foul trouble and played only nine minutes before fouling out.
“She’s a big part of our interior defense and not having her for most of the game hurts,” Patzlaff said. “We’ll probably look at doing some things different defensively next time we see them.”
The girls started their three-game stretch by hosting Sturgis Jan. 5 in the Armory. The Wildcats started the game strong and led by as much as eight points, but 29 turnovers ultimately doomed the Wildcats in a 44-39 loss.
The start of the second half was particularly painful on the turnover front for Custer, as the Wildcats began the third quarter by turning the ball over on 10 straight possessions. The onslaught of turnovers helped fuel a 14-1 Scooper run and wasn’t haulted until Allie Kelley drove to the hoop and drew a foul to shoot a pair of free throws with 2:27 left in the quarter.
“Outside of the first 10 possessions of the second half we played pretty well,” Patzlaff said. “For big chunks of the game it was the best we have played so far this year. We’re making progress.”
The Wildcats committed 12 turnovers in the third quarter and Sturgis scored 22 of their points in the game off Wildcat turnovers.
Incredibly, despite the large Scooper run, the Wildcats trailed only 30-24 after Kelley made one of her free throws, but Reese Ludwick nailed a three-pointer for Sturgis to put the Scoopers back up by seven. Cass buried one of her four three-pointers in the game to cut the Scooper lead to six, which was followed by a Spring three-pointer that cut the Sturgis lead to three headed into the fourth quarter.
Another Spring three at the outset of the final quarter tied the game, but two consecutive Custer turnovers led to four more Scooper points.
The Wildcats continued to stay in the game via the three-pointer, as Kelley hit one moments later to cut another Scooper lead to three, followed by Sedlacek doing the same thing at the 2:48  mark. Custer hit nine threes in the game.
A Ludwick basket inside made the score 44-39, but missed free throws by the Scoopers provided Custer several chances to cut into the lead in the final minute. However, four missed three-point attempts as well as four free throws before time expired sealed Custer’s fate.
Custer couldn’t have started the game any better, as aggressive play on both ends of the floor sparked an early 8-0 lead for the Wildcats, aided by five consecutive points by Sedlacek who had 10 in the game. Custer led 14-7 at the end of the first quarter after Cass scored three of her team-high 14 points, and went up 16-7 at the start of the second quarter after a Sedlacek steal and hoop.
Sturgis began to chip away at the lead, but Custer  maintained the advantage at 19-16 after a Cass three-pointer and a 21-18 lead after a Cass drive for a basket. The Wildcats held a 23-21 lead at the half.
After playing six games over the course of two weeks things slow down for the Wildcats, now 2-6, this week as they play only one game when Wall comes to the Armory Friday for a 6:30 p.m. game.
The Eagles are 4-3, but have a pair of good shooters and a physical center that could pose problems for the Wildcats.
“We definitely don’t want to try to grind it out with them,” Patzlaff said. “They play hard. It’s going to be physical.”
Custer    12    10    11    2    —35
HC    23    17    14    14    —68
Custer—Allie Kelley 2-6 3-5 8, Ramsey Karim 0-5 0-0 0, Ally Cass 4-5 0-0 11, Alice Sedlacek 3-12 0-0 7, Bailey Cass 0-1 0-0 0, Kaitlyn Spring 3-7 0-0 8, Jordyn Larsen 0-1 0-0 0, Anna Lewis 0-1 1-2 1, Kellyn Kortemeyer 0-4 0-0 0. Totals: 12-42 4-7 35.
Hill City—Allison Clemetson 1-2 0-0 2, Macey Wathen 5-6 2-3 12, Kadyn Comer 3-5 0-0 7, Hailey Wathen 6-10 2-4 14, Abby Siemonsma 5-11 0-0 12, Maggie Taylor 3-7 0-1 5, Whitney Edwards 5-7 2-4 13. Totals: 28-50 8-14 68.
Three-point goals: Custer 7 (Cass 3, Springs 2, Kelley, Sedlacek), HC 4 (Siemonsma 2, Comer, Edwards). Rebounding: Custer 23 (Sedlacek 6), HC 29 (Edwards 8). Steals: Custer 5, HC 13 (Comer 5). Assists: Custer 7, HC 20 (Comer 13). Turnovers: Custer 25, HC 11. Total fouls: Custer 17, HC 8. Fouled out: Kortemeyer.
Custer    14    9    7    9    —39
Sturgis    6    15    12    11    —44
Custer—Allie Kelley 1-3 1-2 4, Ramsey Karim 0-7 0-0 0, Ally Cass 5-14 0-0 14, Alice Sedlacek 4-9 0-0 10, Kaitlyn Spring 2-4 0-0 6, Anna Lewis 0-1 1-4 1, Kellyn Kortemeyer 2-2 0-3 4. Totals: 14-40 2-9 39.
Sturgis—Sawyer Dennis 5-8 0-0 11, Payton Hedderman 2-2 0-0 4, Megan Petrocco 1-7 0-0 2, Makayla Keffeler 0-2 2-6 2, Kaylee Whatley 2-7 1-4 5, Tatum Ligtenberg 4-10 0-4 8, Resse Ludwick 3-5 2-4 9, Lexi Long 1-5 1-2 3. Totals: 18-46 6-20 44.
Three-point goals: Custer 9 (Cass 4, Sedlacek 2, Spring 2, Kelley), Sturgis 2 (Dennis, Ludwick). Rebounding: 30 (Kortemeyer 9), Sturgis 29. Steals: Custer 11, Sturgis 16. Assists: Custer 10, Sturgis 7. Turnovers: Custer 29, Sturgis 18. Total fouls: Custer 18, Sturgis 12. Fouled out: Kelley