The world got dark.
The Montezuma Bravettes lost their first game of the season the night before.
All of a sudden, the pep band music in their heads stopped playing, the blue and white balloons started to deflate and blow away . .
It was a quiet parking lot in New Sharon.
At home, loving and well-meaning older folks tried to re-assure them with sayings like, “the sun will come up tomorrow” – words which went in one ear and out the other.
Or did they? Did any Bravettes lay awake that night? Were any up early the next morning . . .looking to the eastern sky just to make sure the sun DID come up?
They may not admit to it . . but a relief to them the next morning was 1) Clouds hid the sun, but there was scattered light and; 2) The knowledge they got to play again that night.
You don’t often get a chance like that in basketball – like you do sometimes in baseball – to come right back the next day after a disappointment. It can be refreshing and wonderful therapy.
Into this sobering scene in Montezuma rode a 4-11 Colfax-Mingo team, through no fault of its own occupying that “next night” spot on Montezuma’s schedule.
You guessed it: BOOM! Beaten into a mist were the Tigerhawks, 80-19.
Teams don’t come back strong after a big loss, you say?
The Bravettes did.
They led 24-6 after one quarter; 50-10 at at halftime. It was 68-17 after three. Montezuma even outscored their opponent 12-2 in the fourth quarter, with the regulars over on the bench rooting on their teammates.
“This was a great game to play right after a disappointing loss and our ladies responded so well,” said Coach Janel Burgess.
Montezuma shot .574 from the field, and that included a whopping 13-for-26 (.500!) effort from three-point range.
Colfax-Mingo put up 22 fewer attempts and shot .219.
The Bravettes assisted 19 of 31 made baskets. They shot just six free throws, an indication they were making precise passes to players who stroked open shot attempts.
Montezuma owned the boards, 30-14. “I loved how we came out moving the ball very well, making each other better and obviously shooting the ball very well,” Burgess said.
Shateah Wetering led the Bravettes with 31 points.
Elise Boulton dropped in 17 and may have had some ‘aha’ moments as she nailed five three-pointers in just seven attempts.
Dylan Holland scored 13, on six-for-seven shooting that included a three-ball. Holland has quietly put together a spectacular season, which has included a .667 field goal shooting average on 44-for-66. Holland added four steals in this game.
Shateah Wetering’s night included 14-for-19 shooting from the field. She made three triples, got five steals, five rebounds, had three deflections and three assists.
Maddy McKeag and Mia Boulton each scored six points. McKeag hit a pair of treys.
Shelby Conger had a pair of steals five rebounds and three points.
All the Bravettes played in taking their record out to 14-1.
“It was a great bounce-back game for us and a night to celebrate our seniors, who have done so much for us and are just amazing young ladies,” Burgess said. “They all have a bright future ahead of them and they have taken us to special places.”
The sun is out again – even if it is above the clouds, still – and the white flag with the blue ‘W’ is flying once more.
SENIOR NIGHT – Seniors honored were: Maddy McKeag, Shateah Wetering, Carissa Van Zee, Shelby Conger, Waverly Roorda and Madelyn DeJong.
UP NEXT – The Bravettes are at PCM on Thursday, Jan. 30, and at HLV on Friday, Jan. 31.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Colfax-Mingo 6 4 7 2 – 19
Montezuma 24 26 18 12 – 80
MONTEZUMA (80) – Maddy McKeag 2-5, 0-0, 2, 6. Shanae Wetering 0-2, 1-1, 2, 1. Kierstyn Price 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. Mia Boulton 2-4, 0-0, 1, 6. Shateah Wetering 14-19, 0-0, 0, 31. Alyssa Cline 0-1, 0-0, 0, 0. Elise Boulton 5-10, 2-2, 0, 17. Carissa Van Zee 0-0, 1-2, 0, 1. Shelby Conger 1-3, 1-1, 0, 3. Waverly Roorda 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. Ashlyn Krousie 0-1, 0-0, 0, 0. Madison Johannes 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. Dylan Holland 6-7, 0-0, 0, 13. Madelyn DeJong 1-2, 0-0, 0, 2. Kallie Robison 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. TOTALS – 31-54, 5-6, 5, 80.
COLFAX-MINGO (19)
TOTALS – 7-32, 5-6, 9, 19.
Line score legend: Field goals made-attempted, free throws made-attempted, personal fouls, total points.
Turnovers: Montezuma 4, Colfax-Mingo 22.
Rebounds: Montezuma 30 (Shat. Wetering 5, Shan. Wetering 5, Conger 5, Holland 4, DeJong 2, E. Boulton 2, Holland 2, McKeag 1, Cline 1, Krousie 1, team 2); Colfax-Mingo 14.
Three-point goals: Montezuma 13-26 (E. Boulton 5, Shat. Wetering 3, McKeag 2, M. Boulton 2, Holland 1); Colfax-Mingo 0-6.
Assists: McKeag 4, Conger 4, Shat. Wetering 3, Van Zee 3, M. Boulton 2, E. Boulton 3, DeJong 1.
Steals: Shat. Wetering 5, Holland 4, Conger 2, M. Boulton 1, E. Boulton 1, Van Zee 1, Roorda 1, Krousie 1.
Deflections: Shat. Wetering 3, Van Zee 2, McKeag 1, M. Boulton 1, E. Boulton 1.
Blocks: Shan. Wetering 1, Shat. Wetering 1.
