Northeast Nodaway was supposed to go through Hell Week, but someone forgot to appraise the girls team of the fact that it was supposed to last more than one game. They lost to a much bigger and quicker Platte Valley squad 54-14 last Tuesday against a squad that is a favorite to win a third straight state title.
But then, they turned right around and took out their frustrations from that game on Mound City, another team on the rise and one that was red hot, having won five out of their last six, with quality wins over King City and Stanberry to their credit along with a second place finish at Stanberry. Losing in that manner to Platte Valley has sucked the life out of a lot of teams over the years, but Northeast took it the right way and bounced right back.
Bailey Busby and Dalanie Auffert stuffed the stat line as usual, Jill Boswell, Sasha Deardorff, and Hadley DeFreece all made contributions, but it was Mylee Wilmes, a freshman, who stepped up and had a career night, getting 12 points in Northeast Nodaway’s 43-22 win over Mound City Friday. Instead of a nightmare, it was a party in the USA as the Bluejays led from wire to wire.
The game started off as a defensive slugfest with the only early points being a steal from Bailey Busby and a putback from Busby after one of the Mound City players made the mistake of saving it right to her. That made it 4-0. Mound City tried the box and one on Busby, but got out of it in a hurry when Mylee Wilmes knocked down her first shot. Then, Wilmes got behind the press when Mound City tried to follow Platte Valley’s lead and press the Bluejays out of the gym and Bailey Busby got her the ball to make it 8-0 after one.
All of a sudden, Northeast realized it was not going to be Mound City’s night; the Panthers were not just missing their shots in the first quarter, but they were missing badly. Defensively, Northeast played one of their best games of the year, controlling the boards against one of the taller teams they will face this year besides Platte Valley; they held Mound City to their second lowest point total of the year and barely half their average of 43 points per game. Jill Boswell got five boards in the first quarter as the Bluejays limited Mound City to one shot and out most of the time.
The success on defense translated to the other end as the second quarter belonged to Hadley DeFreece, who was getting open people the ball at will in the period. She got Busby the ball after getting a steal to start the second. Sydney Meadows knocked down a shot to break the shutout, but Sasha Deardorff got Bailey the ball inside for two and Hadley got her the ball for a drive and a pair of free throws. Later, Hadley twice got Dalanie Auffert the ball inside as Auffert heated up in the period. And Mylee struck twice in the period, knocking down a pullup after a drive and hitting a 3-pointer after Jill Boswell set her up with a drive. Northeast led 28-5 at the break.
The Bluejays built their lead up to as much as 27 in the third quarter as Dalanie Auffert kicked one out to Mylee for a 3-pointer to make it 32-5. Later, Busby’s coast to coast look made it 34-7. But Ava Barnes’ NBA 3-pointer late in the third sparked the Panthers and they made things interesting in the fourth quarter.
While Northeast won the game handily, the Panthers showed why they are a much better team this year. Last year, in districts against Platte Valley, the blue and red shirts scored the first 40 points of the game and the contest was so lopsided that the Platte Valley student section started cheering on the Panthers to even things out. This year’s bunch showed no such quit in them as they came out in a run and jump press and cut the Bluejay margin to 34-13 on Ava Rieger’s free throw. Bailey Busby hit a baseline shot and Sasha Deardorff’s runner put the Bluejays back up 38-13, but then Sydney Meadows went off, scoring eight straight to get the Panther deficit down to 39-21. The only basket from Northeast was Dalanie Auffert’s free throw during that stretch.
But unlike the Rock Port game, where they were able to get the deficit down to eight at one point, Northeast was able to right the ship as Sasha Deardorff was clutch again, getting the ball into Dalanie Auffert to make it 41-21. Rieger, an undersized but scrappy post player for Mound City, got a putback, but the Panthers had to foul and Jill Boswell and Dalanie Auffert were able to put it away at the line.
Bailey Busby had 14 points. Mylee Wilmes and Dalanie Auffert had 12 each, and Jill Boswell and Sasha Deardorff had 2 each.
Jill Boswell and Dalanie Auffert had 1 block each.
Northeast had three with double figures in rebounds. Bailey Busby had 14 boards, Dalanie Auffert had 11, Jill Boswell 10, Sasha Deardorff 3, and Gracie Kohlleppel 1.
Hadley DeFreece had 6 assists. Jill Boswell and Bailey Busby had 3 each, Dalanie Auffert and Sasha Deardorff 2 each, and Mylee Wilmes 1.
Bailey Busby had 8 tips. Hadley DeFreece had 5, Jill Boswell and Mylee Wilmes 3 each, and Sasha Deardorff and Dalanie Auffert 1 each.
Bailey Busby had 6 steals. Dalanie Auffert had 2, while Hadley DeFreece and Jill Boswell had 1 each.
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