The Eureka Lady Tornadoes punched their ticket to the final round of Sub-State with a decisive 52-35 victory over the Cherokee Southeast Lancers, on Wednesday, March 5. The long road trip didn’t faze the Tornadoes or their energetic crowd, as they powered through a competitive first quarter before dominating the rest of the game.
The opening quarter saw both teams battling for control, trading baskets in a fast-paced back-and-forth. As the clock wound down, Laynie Winfrey drilled a three-pointer from the top of the key to push Eureka ahead. Moments later, a defensive turnover allowed Winfrey to drive inside and dish to Alaina Westerman for a quick two, giving the Tornadoes a 12-8 edge after eight minutes.
Eureka turned up the heat in the second quarter, locking down defensively and holding the Lancers to just six points. Meanwhile, the Tornadoes found their rhythm from beyond the arc, with Britta Mongeau sinking a deep three and Elle Coulter knocking down two more from long range. By halftime, Eureka had extended their lead to 27-14.
Cherokee Southeast fought back in the third quarter, outscoring the Tornadoes 12-11, but Eureka quickly shut down any hopes of a comeback. Their defensive pressure resulted in four deflections, three steals, and a key block, keeping the Lancers at bay. On offense, Lydia Mason sank two three-pointers and added a pair of free throws, while Winfrey continued her strong performance with a triple, a pull-up jumper, and a free throw to seal the win.
When the final buzzer sounded, the Lady Tornadoes emerged victorious, 52-35, securing their spot in the Sub-State championship. With momentum on their side, Eureka now set its sights on the final round, one step closer to their ultimate goal.
Stats and Scoring Leaders: POINTS: Winfrey 19, Coulter 12, Mason 10, Westerman 4, Mongeau 3 and Hannah Perrier and Arabella Shepherd 2.
REBOUNDS: Winfrey 9, Kimber Ptacek 6, Coulter 5, Mason 4 and Westerman and Mongeau 2.
ASSISTS: Mongeau 6, Winfrey 4, and Shepherd 2.
STEALS: Winfrey 3 and Mongeau and Perrier 2.
