Keota girls basketball team loses at Lone Tree

LONE TREE ? The Keota girls basketball team chance at advancing in the post season ended at Lone Tree Thursday, Feb. 9, as the Lions won on their home court 59-22.

Despite the slow start, Keota was the first to get on the board after 3 1/2 minutes of play, but Lone Tree would take control of the ball and go on a 10-point run to take the lead and never let go of it. Keota would only have one more basket in the first quarter which ended 15-4 in Lone Tree?s favor.

Lone Tree started the second quarter scoring 12 points in a row before Keota would get a chance at three from the free-throw line.  It would be Lone Tree continuing to score in the quarter as the score would end 37-12 at the half.

Lone Tree dominated the floor in the third quarter as they would go up 54-19 after three, enforcing the continuous clock rule for the fourth quarter. In the final eight minutes, the scoring was low as Lone Tree put up another five points and Keota added three.

Keota coach Jeff Sprouse says good playing by Lone Tree contributed to the Lions getting the win. ?They came out and played as well as they have in probably a month or two. They shot the ball well.

?We played solid defense in the first half, they hit some tough shots. That?s what good teams do. We battled, we struggled at times with contact and it?s a challenge for us trying to get into our offense. But overall, our girls competed hard in the first half, they (Lone Tree) just had an avalanche. Hats off to them, they played really well.?

This was the last game for the team?s three seniors: Erin Chalupa, Kaylin Swanson and Raigan Sprouse. What will be missed most about them?

?The positive attitude they bring to practice every day,? Sprouse says. ?It?s kind of unique because we have three sets of sisters and they all get along this year. That?s probably the one thing that?s gotten us through at times.

?We?ve talked about not quitting and this group is the epitome of that; they don?t quit. These seniors have basically one win in two years.

?They could have chosen to pack it in and they chose not to, which to me shows a lot more than even a team that might win a bunch of games from the standpoint they?ve dealt with adversity every day. I?m extremely proud of them for that.?

Looking forward to next year there is one goal. ?We have to get better at scoring,? Sprouse says.

?We have to get more kids to be a threat. We?ve been talking about it. We do have some ability, we just have to get there to it.

?It?s going to take a lot of elbow grease and they are more than capable. We?d like to change the style we play so hopefully next year things might look a little different, which is what I prefer to play and hopefully see how that works for everybody.?

The Keota girls end their season at 0-22, while Lone Tree is 17-5 with the win. The Lions will be host to WACO (7-15) Tuesday, Feb. 14, beginning at 7 p.m.