Coach Matt Aschoff's Class B No. 9 Blair High School girls basketball team is 10-7 overall after its two most-recent Eastern Midlands Conference games.
The Bears lost at home to Elkhorn North on Thursday and earned a 46-27 victory at Lincoln Standing Bear on Saturday. They played both games without injured senior standout Addie Sullivan, the team's leading scorer.
Against the Grizzlies, BHS' Taytum Macholan helped fill the void with a game-high 16 points. No. 33 scored nine of those during the second period as the Bears turned a 10-8 deficit into a 27-15 halftime advantage.
Freshman Cadence Field added 12 points for Blair, too, while Ally Sullivan scored five. Both Kate Wulf and Madeline Chikos scored four points, too.
Standing Bear's Lily Hansmeier scored 11 points in defeat as well.
Blair next plays 6 p.m. today against Council Bluffs Lewis Central at home.
Bears fall to Wolves
BHS struggled to meet its scoring average without Sullivan on Thursday, dropping a 43-28 home game to Elkhorn North.
Even in defeat, though, senior Hayden Frink-Mathis was proud of her team for meeting the challenge of playing without its future University of Nebraska-Kearney Loper.
“I feel like everyone stepping up played their part,” the post player said. “They played their role and, together, we played as a team.”
She would have liked to have earned a victory on her Senior Night, though.
“There's a little disappointment,” Frink-Mathis explained. “You always want to win, but we fought hard and they shot lights out.”
The Wolves (7-7 overall) started with an 11-0 lead before Macholan scored her team's first points on a 3-pointer with 1:23 left during the opening 8-minute period. The make kicked off an 8-0 run that extended into the second quarter.
Macholan made her second bucket at 11-5 before Beau Wendt sunk a free throw and Chikos scored on a drive to the basket.
Elkhorn North slowed the erosion of its lead from there, but Frink-Mathis still made a bucket before the half to pull her team within 18-17. The senior made another 2-point hoop just before the buzzer at the end of the third period, but the Bears' 31-25 deficit only grew from there during the fourth.
Altogether, Frink-Mathis, Macholan and Wendt tied for BHS' scoring lead against the Wolves, finishing with six points apiece.
After the game, Sullivan, Frink-Mathis and manager Lillian Huenink were recognized by the home crowd for their Senior Night celebration.
“It is 100 percent weird,” Frink-Mathis said of going through such a ceremony. “It's different.”
It put things in perspective knowing the final home game is coming up soon.
“It's your last season and you want to be there for your teammates,” Frink-Mathis said.
BHS BASKETBALL LINE SCORES
Saturday
No. 9 Blair 46, Lincoln Standing Bear 27
BHS (10-7) 8 19 11 8 — 46
LSB (3-11) 10 5 8 4 — 27
Scoring: BHS — Taytum Macholan 16, Cadence Field 12, Ally Sullivan 5, Kate Wulf 4, Madeline Chikos 4, Hayden Frink-Mathis 2, Claire Anderson 2, Beau Wendt 1.
LSB — Lily Hansmeier 11, Braylee Vasa 8, Jada Welton 3, Sami Johnsen 2, Sydnie Cain 2, Olivia Donner 1.
Thursday
Elkhorn North 43, No. 9 Blair 28
EN (7-7) 11 7 13 12 — 43
BHS (9-7) 3 14 8 3 — 28
Scoring: BHS — Frink-Mathis 6, Macholan 6, Beau Wendt 6, Madeline Chikos 4, Cadence Field 2, Ally Sullivan 2, Kate Wulf 2.
EN — Kaylee Lake 11, Reagan Palmer 11, Sahler Smith 8, Payton Palmer 7, Addy Bratt 3, Mallory Hansen 3.
