Lake Holcombe takes down Bobcats squad on the road

By Ginna Young

Focus has been what the Lake Holcombe girls basketball program has worked on each day, and Dec. 17, on the road at Birchwood, they proved that.

“Our defense played tough and scrappy, forcing key turnovers, that turned into points on the other end,” said coach Matthew Stewart.

The Chieftains built a lead early, but Birchwood stormed back to tie it at halftime.

“During the break, we talked about ways to slow down a couple of their players, who were catching fire from beyond the arc,” said Stewart. “The team did a great job of limiting three-point looks, which helped us control their offense a little better. On offense, we made a few changes that opened up more scoring chances and the team did a great job of executing those adjustments.”

All that put together helped Lake Holcombe claim a 5038 victory.

Sophomore Payton Birkenholz had a standout game, with a career high 22 points, while sophomore Chloe Irwin came away with 9 and junior Alexia Hoffner added 7.

“I’m really proud of how the team is growing, both individually and together,” said Stewart. “Their effort, heart and willingness to learn, have been impressive. It’s been fun to watch them improve and I’m excited to see where we can go from here.”