OELRICHS - The Oelrichs Lady Tigers earned a pair of wins recently against the Takini Skyhawks and the Edgemont Moguls at home last week. The team may be low in number, but they are high in spirit and spunk, according to Coach Eric Mabin. On Thursday night against Takini, they played with seven girls; and on Friday night against Edgemont, they only had five players.
The Lady Tigers dominated the court from the start against Takini, leading 49-17 at halftime. Their full court press led to a number of turnovers by Takini throughout the game. The Tigers were on fire, and their shots made their way into the basket over and over again. In the end, they won with a score of 91-21. “The game was exciting, especially for the younger players,” said Coach Mabin.
Friday night’s game was close from the beginning. Edgemont was leading after the first quarter, but the game was tied 27-27 at halftime. At the end of the third quarter, the Moguls were in the lead by 5 points. The fourth quarter was a nail-biter, with the leader changing back and forth. The Lady Tigers scored the final basket in the last seconds of the game, taking the win with a score of 58-57. Coach Mabin shared, “It is extremely hard when they play with only five players, because they don’t get any breaks, but they fought through it and had a good outcome.”
The wins follow on the heels of a 71-30 loss at Wakpala on Saturday, February 3. The girls did not let that slow them down, though, and they came out on the court last week ready to win.
Coach Mabin said, “I tell them all the time that they do all the work, and I just supply the tools for them. It really showed this season with all the new things they learned and worked hard to perfect. We have a hard road ahead of us in regions, but we will work hard to prepare for it.”