Falcons suffer frustrating loss to Howards Grove

The mood of the team was filled with frustration, after the Sheboygan Falls Falcons girls basketball team dropped their third consecutive game in eight days Tuesday, Jan. 5, against Howards Grove.

For the second straight game, Falls held a late lead, only to have the Tigers rally in the final minutes to post a 54-49 victory.

Howards made six free throws in last 35 seconds to seal the win, as Ali Benning and Alexis Lindstrom combined for a strong effort at the foul line.

“It's definitely frustrating,” stated Falcons coach Leroy Hamilton. “We are capable of playing better. We need to get this ship righted.”

Falls dropped to 4-3 overall with its third straight loss, while Howards improved to 7-1 overall.

The Falcons trailed 40-35, going into the fourth quarter. However, Falls used its height advantage to get inside on the faster Howards team early in the final period.

Seniors Emilie Leffin and Lauren Carman combined to make 7-of-8 free throws in the early stages of the quarter, as the Falcons cut the lead to 44-42.

Carman then hit a big jumper and freshman Staci Hasler nailed a 3-pointer, as Falls took a one-point lead at 47-46, with 1:38 left.

Howards would later tie the game at 48-48 on a lay-up by Lindstrom. The Falcons then missed two key free throws, as the Tigers converted six free throws to finish the game.

Falls started the game on a 9-3 run, led by Carman and junior Brooke Buehler, with four points each.

The Tigers came back on baskets by Tatum Brickner and Benning to tie the game at 9-9. A late basket by junior Cassie Quirt gave the Falcons an 11-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Both teams traded leads in the second quarter. Leffin led Falls with six points in the lane.

A charged-up Tigers team came out the locker room at halftime, trailing by 27-25.

In the first three minutes of the third quarter, Howards scored eight straight points to retake the lead 33- 27. Kasey Latham made a three-point play and Ali Benning added a 3-point shot.

Falls was able to cut the lead to 33-32 on free throws from Carman and a driving lay-up from Hasler.

The Tigers would go on to outscore the Falcons 15-8 in the quarter, putting Falls in a hole to start the fourth quarter.

Benning finished with 15 points. Lindstrom totaled 14 and Brickner put in 12 points to lead Howards.

“We tried not to get too up or down,” said Tigers coach Heidi Georgeoff. “We knew Falls is a good team.

“We played well,” she said. “This was a tough matchup. They had two big low post players, but I felt we were quicker.”

Howards shot 18-of-22 (82 percent) from the free-throw line. Falls made 20-of-30 (67 percent) of its free-throw attempts.

Carman scored 15 points to lead the Falcons. Leffin had 11 points and nine boards, while Buehler added seven points with three steals. Hasler also had seven points.

The Howard Grove junior varsity team notched a 26-24 victory over the Falcons. Hayley Rickmeier made a field goal with 32 seconds left to give the Tigers the lead for good. Rickmeier led Tigers with 11 points.

Allie Danneker missed a half-court shot that just went off the rim at the buzzer. Olivia Warpinski led Falls with seven points. Sara Ison had six points, with a game-tying shot late in the fourth quarter.

“We did well to come back, after scoring only seven points in the first half,” said coach Sandy Duda. The Falls junior varsity team is now 3-4 overall.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Score by Quarter Howards Grove 9 16 15 14 - 54 Sheboygan Falls 11 16 8 14 - 49

Howards Grove scoring: Karyssa Gallenberger 2, Emily Schuh 2, Alexis Lindstrom 14, Kasey Lathem 5, Alison Benning 15, Brianna Morgan 2, Steph Bergman 2, Tatum Brisker.

Sheboygan Falls scoring: Alyse Hucke 1, Cassie Quirt 5, Chelsea Powers 1, Brooke Buehler 7, Emilie Leffin 11, Staci Hasler 7, Lauren Carman 15, Amanda Milne 2.

Three-point goals: Howards Grove - Benning 2. Falls - Buehler, Quirt, Hasler. Statistics: Howards Grove – field goals 17-44 (39 percent), free throws 18-22 (82 percent), rebounds 24, turnovers 11. Sheboygan Falls - field goals 13-48 (27 percent), free throws 20-30 (67 percent), rebounds _______________________ 22, turnovers 12.