The Lady Tornadoes claimed back-to-back Wildcat Classic titles last week, defeating Sedan, Yates Center and Cherryvale on their way.
Advanced With 56–31 Win Over Sedan For the second straight matchup in less than a week, the Eureka Lady Tornadoes faced the Sedan Blue Devils—this time in the opening round of the Wildcat Classic Tournament in Yates Center.
Unlike their first meeting, Eureka needed a moment to get rolling. The Tornadoes didn’t score until two minutes into the game, when Alaina Westerman pulled down an offensive rebound and fired a perfect outlet pass to Arabella Shepherd for a transition layup. A lone free throw followed, but Eureka struggled to find rhythm until erupting for an 11–2 run in the final two minutes of the quarter. Eureka led 13–4 after one.
The second quarter brought more balance throughtout, as the Lady Tornadoes again outscored Sedan 13–4 behind a strong stretch from Sydney Lindamood, who put up five points in the frame. Eureka carried a 26–8 advantage into halftime.
Sedan showed spark early in the second half, but the Tornadoes matched the energy and edged the Blue Devils 15–14 in the third quarter to maintain control, leading 41–22 heading into the fourth.
Junior Elle Coulter delivered an immediate surge to start the final period, scoring six straight points to push the lead even further. Senior Britta Mongeau and Shepherd sealed the deal late, combining for nine points in the closing minutes. Eureka finished the night with a convincing 56– 31 victory to advance to the second round, where they would take on tournament host Yates Center.
Sophomores Shepherd and Lindamood led the scoring with 22 and 10 points respectively. Mongeau added 7, Coulter 6, Hannah Perrier and Lydia Mason each scored 4, and Westerman chipped in 3.
Lady Tornadoes Move On in Wildcat Classic The Eureka Lady Tornadoes advanced to the championship round of the Wildcat Classic with a commanding 77–19 win over Yates Center in semifinal action.
Yates Center scored the opening basket, but Eureka answered quickly. Mason took the ball strong to the rim for the Lady Tornadoes’ first points, igniting a 12–0 run. Eureka closed the first quarter with a 22–8 lead and never let up.
Behind stifling defense and hot shooting, momentum continued in the second quarter.
Westerman started the rout knocking down a free throw and Coulter followed with a strong drive to the basket, sparking a 16–0 scoring run before Yates Center was able to answer. Eureka added another 22 points in the period, pushing the Lady Tornadoes’ halftime advantage even further.
The Lady Tornadoes came out firing in the second half as well. Early in the third quarter, Westerman grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked the ball out to Coulter for a three-pointer, setting off yet another scoring surge. The Lady Tornadoes poured in 23 points in the third quarter and finished the game with 10 more in the fourth.
Eureka shot efficiently throughout the night, finishing at 63% from two-point range and 41% from beyond the arc as a team. Three players reached double figures, led by Coulter with a gamehigh 25 points. Shepherd added 14 points and dished out a team-high 7 assists, while Mason contributed 12 points. Mongeau scored 9 points, Perrier added 8 and led the team with 6 rebounds, Lindamood chipped in 7, and Westerman finished with 3 points.
Coulter also led the defensive effort with 5 steals.
Yates Center was held to eight points in the first quarter, four points in both the second and third quarters, and three in the final period as Eureka’s defensive pressure controlled the tempo throughout the game.
With the win, the Lady Tornadoes moved on in the Wildcat Classic Championship game.
Back-to-Back Titles
The Eureka Lady Tornadoes capped off the Wildcat Classic with a thrilling 50– 48 victory over the Cherryvale Chargers to claim back-to-back tournament championships in a hardfought title game between two evenly matched teams.
Cherryvale struck first with a three-pointer and set the tone early with smothering defense, holding Eureka to a single three-point field goal by Coulter and three free throws in the opening quarter. Cherryvale scored 11 points in the period to take an 11–6 lead.
Eureka continued to struggle offensively in the second quarter, again managing just one three- pointer— this time from Mason— and a free throw. The Lady Tornadoes’ defense kept them within striking distance, limiting the Chargers to six points in the quarter. Cherryvale carried a 17–10 lead into halftime.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the third quarter as Eureka came out of the locker room on fire, erupting for 21 points. Junior Coulter scored 10 in the period, while sophomore Shepherd added 6. Cherryvale held the lead until the final 10 seconds of the quarter, when Coulter came up with a steal and went coastto- coast for a layup to give Eureka its first lead of the night, 31–29, heading into the fourth.
Both teams traded baskets throughout the final quarter, scoring 19 points apiece in a back-and-forth battle. With the game on the line, Shepherd hit one of two free throws to put Eureka up by two. Cherryvale’s last-second attempt narrowly missed, sealing the 50–48 victory for the Lady Tornadoes.
Eureka was led by Coulter with 16 points, followed by Shepherd with 11. Lindamood and Mongeau each added 8 points, and Mason finished with 6.
With the win, the Lady Tornadoes secured their second consecutive Wildcat Classic championship.
Pictured inset is Lady Tornado sophomore Lindamood shooting a three during the championship game.
Up Next
The Tornadoes conclude the 2025 portion of their schedule this week with home games against Humboldt and Flinthills.
