LADY BADGERS MOVE INTO
THIRD PLACE IN SWAC
by Bob Bahlmann
Sanpete Messenger

Lady Badgers Win CNCC 68-63 & CEU 69-66

Ephraim—The Snow College Lady Badgers pushed their winning streak to four after getting two close victories over the weekend.

Snow overcame a flurry of three-point shots by Colorado Northwestern on Friday to beat the Spartans 68-63, and then with two starters on the bench due to injuries, defeated the College of Eastern Utah 69-66 on Saturday.

Badger point guard Abbie Beutler had to leave Friday’s game with an ankle injury with two minutes left to play.  Holding a slim 66-63 lead, Snow’s defense took over. Amy Weitzeil blocked a shot, and then Amanda Farish threw one up that just beat the shot-clock  buzzer.  The basket was no good, but Farish hit two free throws to increase the lead to five with nine seconds to play.

On the ensuing play, Alle Finch drew a charge to end the Spartans’ hope of a comeback, but she paid the price when she hit the floor and left the game with back spasms.

Led by Sammie Jensen’s 17 boards, Snow out-rebounded CNCC 41-28.  The Spartans tried to trade free throws for three-pointers, launching 29 shots from behind the arc.  The plan backfired as the Badgers shot 79.5 percent from the line, making 31 of 39 attempts.

Jensen had a double double with 21 points and 17 boards; Weitzeil had 11 points and nine rebounds. Finch left the game with 10 points and five steals.  Beutler, Farish and Linsey Hodgkiss had eight points each, and Tara Gehring had two.

Saturday’s game was another barnburner.  With both Beutler and Finch on the bench, the Badgers were short handed.  Coach Cindy Lindsay knew the Badgers would need someone to step up and play well to offset the loss of her two starters.

“You never know who that will be, “she said after the game.  On Saturday it was Hodgkiss.  “She was on fire,: Lindsay said.

Hodgkiss stung the Golden Eagles for 26 points, scoring from everywhere on the floor.

Freshman Karin Cottle started at point, with Farish sharing floor general duties throughout the game.

With a one-point lead and 2:33 left in the game, Hodgkiss got a steal and was fouled on a three-point shot at the other end.

A CEU three was answered by one from Hodgkiss, but a bucket by the Eagles tied the game at 66 with 43 seconds left.  As the shot clock wound down, Gehring launched a three that hit nothing but net.  It was her only three of the weekend but couldn’t have come at a better time, and the Badgers earned a win that moved them up in the SWAC standings to third place.

Hodgkiss finished with 26 points.  Jensen had nine points and six rebounds.  Weitzeil also had nine points.  Jaquel Christensen came off the bench to score eight points and pull down five rebounds in nine minutes of game time.  Gehring had seven points and five boards.  Farish scored six to go with her six rebounds; Meissa Diop had two, as did Bailie Reynolds.

The pair of wins gave Snow a four-game winning streak, but they haven’t been easy.  The average margin of victory in the four wins was just over four points.  The Badgers will need to carry their momentum into this Saturday’s game against the league-leading Salt Lake Community College Bruins.  The good news is the Badgers should be back to a full roster with Beutler and Finch both expected to play.

This could be one of the most critical games of the year for the Lady Badgers.  The last time these teams met on the Bruins’ home floor, the Bruins earned a close 68-67 win.