Rangely girls win two last weekend on home court

RANGELY I Rangely High School girls’ basketball coach Quinton Kent credited his team’s most recent wins to their defense. The lady Panthers defeated the North Park Wildcats last Thursday, then defeated the Little Snake River Rattlers Friday last. Both were home games.
“North Park was a league game and our defense carried us again,” Kent said about the 45-13 win over the lady Wildcats.
“We gave up 10 points in the first half but only scored 14,” Kent said of last Thursday’s game. Senior Quincey Thacker scored eight of the team’s 14 points in the first half and finished the game with 19.
“In the second half, we held them to three points and our defense came alive and we started hitting some shots,” Kent said.
Chelsea Ficken scored six of her eight points in the fourth quarter. Kelsey Prosser scored six, Brittany Babineaux and Aimee Hogan each added five and Shelby Neiberger added a basket against the Wildcats.
“Our offense is a work in progress but we are seeing improvement,” Kent said.
The game against Little Snake River was more competitive but Rangely’s defense again shut down their opponent to help secure the win. This is the second time the lady Panthers have played the lady Rattlers this season, defeating them 25-22 in the 2012 WREA Cowboy Shootout.
“Both times we’ve played Little Snake River, both teams have struggled to score,” Kent said.
The Panthers trailed 6-8 at the end of the first quarter and took a 13-11 lead into the locker room at halftime.
“Once again, our defense proved to be the difference,” Kent said of the non-league game. “It was a two point game at the half and we held them scoreless in the third quarter. That gave us enough of a cushion going into the fourth, to maintain our lead.”
Thacker led the lady Panthers again with 19 points and Prosser finished with four. Babineaux and Ficken each added three and Hogan made a basket in the fourth quarter to round out the scoring.
“I am proud with the effort of our girls as a whole,” Kent said. “They are working hard on defense and striving to be more disciplined on offense. With this kind of effort, they will continue to progress. As long as they keep buying into the fact that being apart of a team is about more than one individual, we will continue to improve.”
The lady Panthers will not see action again until they travel to Paonia Jan. 11, 2013.