Chieftains win over Chiefs

Meeting up for a neighboring clash on Lake Holcombe’s court, the Chieftains and Cornell girls basketball programs came ready to play Jan. 10.

“We knew Cornell was going to be ready for us, home or away, it was going to be a tight game,” said Lake Holcombe assistant coach J.D. Kirkman.

The Chieftains went into halftime up by 10, but that score wouldn’t last, as Cornell came charging back.

“We managed to get within two a few different times at Holcombe, but couldn’t quite pull off the win,” said Cornell coach Courtney Yanko.

“We made a few adjustments throughout the game to stay in control, they didn’t make it easy,” said J.D. Kirkman.

Despite even scoring in the second half of the game, Lake Holcombe held on for a 56-46 conference victory over the Chiefs.

On Cornell’s side, junior Lauren Samardzich came up big, with 18 points – 15 of those from three-point shots – as well as 5 rebounds and a steal, followed by senior Kelsea Popp, with 10 points, 5 rebounds, an assist and 3 steals. Sophomore Bralee Schroeder followed that up with 8 points and 3 rebounds, while junior Grace Harycki added 6 points from three-pointers and a rebound.

Sophomore Alyssa Bowe came away with 2 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists, and junior Teryn Close ended with 2 points. Senior Makya Hetherington chipped in with 3 rebounds and an assist.

“I was impressed with their ability to hold their heads high and continue to battle through it all,” said Yanko.

For Lake Holcombe, junior Emma Lechleitner ended with 21 points on the night, with senior Karly Kirkman finishing with 19 points and senior Justine Kane contributing 11. Senior Belle Jones added a three-pointer, with sophomore Abby Jones coming up with 2 points.

“We are very happy with the way we spread the ball around, Lechleitner, Kirkman and Kane were all in double digits,” said J.D. Kirkman. “That’s a sign that they were working together.”