Cheyenne Central senior Allee Williamson, left, dribbles around a Cheyenne South defender during Friday's game at Central High School. Hugh Carey/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Cheyenne Central senior Allee Williamson, left, dribbles around a Cheyenne South defender during Friday's game at Central High School. Hugh Carey/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
CHEYENNE – The Cheyenne Central girls basketball team relied on its defense to get a spark against a tough opponent in Friday’s regular-season finale against Cheyenne South.
Thanks to a tough full-court press, the Lady Indians’ third-quarter rally stood up in a 42-38 home win.
Central coach Curtis Martindale credited senior Allee Williamson for disrupting the Lady Bison’s offense. The 6-foot forward jumped in passing lanes and got her arms in the way to create opportunities for the Indians (10-9 overall, 2-8 Class 4A East Conference).
“We didn’t really make an adjustment,” Martindale said. “We did well on defense and rebounding.
“(Williamson) did a good job up on top of our press. We created opportunities with our press and got a little breathing room.”
Leading 23-21 at halftime, the Indians outscored the Bison 13-6, forcing six turnovers with that press. South coach Chad DeBruyn said his team didn’t find the right path through Central’s press.
“We didn’t reverse the ball,” he said. “If we do that we have opportunities on the back side. (Central) gets you up front so if you go to the middle they’re chasing you. That allows you to get out and run.”
The Bison (8-14, 2-8) had some fight left, though, and they inched back into the game. Trailing 40-32 with 3 minutes, 44 seconds left in the game, the Bison scored six straight points to make it 40-38 with 2:07 left.
At one point, the Indians held the ball for nearly a minute and a half, taking the air out of the game. They also stopped the Bison on their final three possessions, a good thing considering they scored one field goal and went 4 for 10 on free throws in the final 8 minutes.
“It wasn’t the prettiest game,” Martindale said. “We’ve got a lot to work on before next week.”
The two teams will face off in a loser-out game in the 4A East Regional tournament Thursday at Storey Gym.
“It’s one game, do or die,” DeBruyn said.
“It’s awful hard to beat a team three times in one season.”
Senior Claire Swanson led Central with 12 points and added three assists. Junior Abby Fearneyhough had six points, 10 rebounds, three assists and five steals.
Sophomore Deja King had 12 points and seven rebounds for the Bison, while junior teammate Karli Noble added 12 points as well.
