Dec. 29 was a record-tying day for the Seward girls’ basketball team.
Senior Ona Stutzman made eight three-pointers in the 47-39 win over Wahoo at the holiday tournament, tying the record set by Kourteney Zadina. Stutzman finished with 30 points.
“That’s a career high. I’m very proud of her,” Coach Beth Bohuslavsky said.
Seward finished the game 9-20 from three, with Haylie Sloup recording the other make.
“We were ready to go from the start,” Bohuslavsky said. “We came out guns blazing. We were able to dictate the pace and control the game.”
After the five-day moratorium, she said she didn’t know what to expect from the Bluejays. The team had talked about getting the ball inside and drawing fouls, something that hadn’t happened in the loss to Grand Island Central Catholic before Christmas. In that game, SHS shot 10 free throws. Against Wahoo, SHS shot 22.
The win put the Jays in the championship game against Bishop Neumann. The Cavaliers are a fast, athletic team, Bohuslavsky said. The Jays were able to stay with them, however, but couldn’t get the win, losing 51-47.
“We showed a lot of grit and resilience,” Bohuslavsky said. “We had 24 hours to prepare, and our stamina is not where we want it.”
Seward trailed 15-7 at the end of the first quarter and went on a 14-2 run. In the second quarter, the Jays amped up the defensive pressure, the coach said.
With 2:40 to play, Seward led by one, but the ball just wouldn’t fall, Bohuslavsky said.
In the end, the game came down to turnovers. Seward committed 23, and Bishop Neumann scored 30 points off them.
“It’s tough to win with that,” Bohuslavsky said.
She was happy to see that the SHS defense held the Cavaliers’ transition game to two points.
Karlee Baack led Seward with 12 points. Bohuslavsky said she was able to get to the rim in the second half. Kelsey Miller finished with four steals at the top of the Bluejay press.
The Jays (5-4) will host Beatrice Friday, Jan. 5, starting at 6 p.m. On Saturday, Jan. 6, the team will play in the Kearney Showcase against Broken Bow at 1:50 p.m.
