Lady Eagles bounce back after first loss in tourney
Boulder City first-year girls’ basketball coach Paul Dosch knew his team would eventually lose a game. He was more concerned with how his team would bounce back after the setback.
Dosch found out this past weekend at the Nighthawk Classic in Murrieta, Calif.
After winning their first nine games of the season, the Lady Eagles lost. They made 31 turnovers in a 56-45 loss Saturday to Redlands East Valley (Calif.) in the second round of the four-day event.
“I knew a loss would eventually come and what I wanted to know afterward was how the team would react,” Dosch said. “Well, I am proud of the ladies. We lost ugly. You can’t travel and make 31 turnovers and expect to win. We were sloppy. But we came right back in the following game and fought hard for a victory.”
In the loss to Redlands, sophomore forward Megan Morton scored a season-best 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Senior forward Whitney Barlow had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Led by Barlow’s 15 points and 15 rebounds, Boulder City bounced back Saturday with a 42-26 victory against Elsinore (Calif.). Junior guard Katlyn Daly added nine points and six assists and Morton scored eight points and grabbed eight rebounds. Junior guard Alyssa Ybarra scored seven points.
“We bounced back from the loss with a win against a really good team,” Dosch said. “The girls are playing with great efforts and communicating really well at both ends of the floor. Megan is giving us excellent minutes as the sixth person off the bench. She comes in with instant offense and she has really bought into the system on the defensive end.
“The entire team has bought into the team unity system and we are growing together.”
The victory over Elsinore helped Boulder City reach the third-place game Monday night against host Murrieta Valley.
The Lady Eagles lost to Murrieta Valley 45-31. Barlow scored 12 points, Morton scored eight, and Daly and Ybarra each scored four.
In the tournament opener, Barlow scored 17 points and collected 10 rebounds to lead the Lady Eagles to a 56-36 victory Friday against Vista del Lago (Calif.). Ybarra added 10 points. Daly added seven points, and Samantha Hanson and Morton each scored six points.
Barlow’s efforts helped her make the all-tourney team.
“I am really proud of the way they are playing so far this season,” Dosch said. “We have a lot of work ahead to come together as a team that can return to the state tournament.”
A year ago, under coach Kirk Frantz, the Lady Eagles reached the Southern Region final and the state semifinal.
“We want to get back to the state tournament,” Daly said. “We start the league schedule in January, and now is the time to play hard and give it our all to win every league game. The holiday tournaments were just a warm-up, now we have to dominate our league opponents.”
Boulder City is 9-2 entering league play.
“We are superexcited to take the next step into league play,” Dosch said.
The Lady Eagles begin their Sunrise League schedule Monday in Overton to play Moapa Valley. Their league home opener is Jan. 10 against Sunrise Mountain.
