Lady Cards Rally Past Cheraw

Trailing for more than three quarters, McClave’s Lady Cardinals finished off a fourth quarter rally last Friday night (Jan. 31) to defeat Cheraw, 38-37. McClave had been its own worst enemy in the early stages of the game, failing to handle the pressure of the Lady Wolverines.

Cheraw cranked up the defensive intensity from the opening tip, using full-court zone pressure to build a 14-5 lead after one period. McClave started to make the adjustments and the Lady Cards finished the half strong, only trailing by five, 20-15.

McClave kept the run going to start the second half, but the Lady Wolverines were able to hold the Lady Cardinals at bay, behind the perimeter shooting of Alyssa Lovato. The sophomore point guard for Cheraw knocked down four three pointers in the contest, and scored 24 of her team’s 37 points. Cheraw saw its lead trimmed to four points heading into the decisive fourth quarter, 29-25.

A three-point play by Shelby Davis opened the fourth quarter scoring for McClave and that gave the hosts the momentum to finally get over the hump. It would come down to free throw shooting, and the Lady Cards hit just enough of their charity tosses to hold on for the one-point victory.

Peighton Martin was the steady presence on offense for McClave, scoring a team-best 13 points, including two big buckets down the stretch. Sarah Zamora and Tatum Chase each pumped in eight points, with Chase adding six rebounds, good for second on the team behind Martin’s eight boards.

“It was a great game for our girls,” McClave head coach Kilee Randel said. “Cheraw, being a district opponent, was a win that we needed. I was proud of how the girls worked hard and pulled out a win. Of course, I can always find places for improvement. We didn’t shoot well from the line. We also didn’t rebound the ball in the first half like we need to. Turning the ball over early was the big reason Cheraw was able to get a 14 to 5 lead on us. So, I am happy with the win, but also know there are things we need to get better at in the next four weeks if we want to be playing ball next month.”

The Lady Cardinals are third in the High Plains League, behind Kit Carson and Eads, who are both undefeated in league play. McClave has lost to Kit Carson, and will play Eads in the regular season finale. The Lady Cards will travel to Cheyenne Wells on Friday for a league game, and then return home to host Walsh in a non-league contest on Saturday.

By Kerry Sherman

Kerry Sherman and his wife, Colleen, moved to Lamar in August of 2013, from Anton, Colorado, to cover Southeastern Colorado high schools for Colorado Preps. Kerry is in his third year of streaming high school sports online for Colorado Preps, and this is his 23rd year of covering high schools for various print and online outlets throughout Colorado. He also has nine years of coaching experience, with the boys basketball programs at Woodlin and Otis.