On Tuesday, February 20 the Wessington Springs Spartans girls basketball team hosted Gregory in a Region 5 game. The Spartans jumped to a quick 6-0 lead and went on to hold a 12-8 lead after one quarter. The Spartans were able to increase their lead to 11 by halftime by outscoring Gregory 15-8 in 2nd quarter. The Spartans had a big quarter offensively in the 3rd quarter by scoring 18 points and held a 45-26 lead going into final quarter of play. The Spartans cruised to a 54-33 victory from there. Avery Orth led the way with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Carissa Scheel had 15 points and nine rebounds. Alyssa Grohs had nine points, six rebounds and four assists.
On Tuesday, February 22 the Wessington Springs Spartans took on Tripp-Delmont/Armour (TDA) at the Corn Palace in a Region game to qualify for SoDak 16. TDA jumped out quickly and held an eight point lead, but the Spartans battled back and trailed TDA 16-12 going to 2nd quarter. The 2nd quarter went back and forth with TDA’s lead fluctuating between two and four points and being tied a couple of times. TDA led the Spartans 29-27 at halftime. The Spartans had a good 3rd quarter outscoring TDA 14-8 and held a 41-37 lead going into 4th quarter. However, in the 4th quarter the Spartans had a hard time getting baskets and TDA was able to take the lead and hold onto the lead for the victory by a score of 53-49. The loss ends the Spartans season with a 17-5 record.
“It was great to see the community support for the team, how much the team bonded, grew and how much they accomplished. I don’t think our girls have ever won a 281 Tournament Title and 281 Conference Title. They were undefeated in the conference after being in it for 20 years,” said Head Coach Jason Kolousek. “It was amazing to see them grow in confidence in themselves and seeing them come together as a team in tough times. That allowed us to pull off some tough victories. Most of all it was fun to see them enjoy it and have success.”
Kolousek shared that his first year coaching basketball, Avery Orth, Alyssa Grohs, Carissa Scheel and Raylee Fagerhaug were all on varsity as eighth graders.
“To see them all the way through their senior year is something special to me. With their commitment and dedication, we’ve grown into a strong program that will continue to be strong because of things they did. They set the bar,” Kolousek said. “They are all very good leaders for the rest of the girls, encouraging and welcoming them. It’s a very close knit team.”
Because of the team’s close bond, Kolousek said that no matter when the season ended, it was going to be tough, with the coaches and underclassmen sure to miss the playing with the seniors.
“I’mproudof everything the girls accomplished and thankful for the community support. Our four seniors we are going to miss dearly — more than just on the court playing basketball,” said. Kolousek. “It was a joy to be a part of this season and I really appreciate how the community stepped up for these girls to witness all they accomplished.”