Cardinals take in narrow, brutal losses
by Doug Sands
The Eleva-Strum Cardinals fell twice this week, but the basketball team is still confident in their growth as the season continues.
On Dec. 16, E-S fired up its engines to face off with the Alma/Pepin Eagles. The Cards came off the first minutes strong and led the Eagles by a close two points entering the second quarter. Alma/Pepin wrestled for control of the court, but the Cardinals held on, stretching their lead to three points by the half with the help of high scorer Jenna Booth, who posted 13 points for E-S.
The Eagles struck back with a vengeance in the third, wiping out Eleva-Strum’s lead to bring a level score. Neck and neck going into the fourth, Eleva-Strum and Alma/Pepin fought for every basket. The Cardinals scrabbled for the victory under a narrow deficit near the end of the game. Eleva-Strum gave its all, but Alma/Pepin came away with the victory 31-34.
Following Booth was teammate Tatum Everson who had five and Deslyn Hart with four.
Three days later, the Cardinals took to the road to face off against Independence. The Indees were 4-1 overall, meaning Eleva-Strum had their hands full.
Right off the bat, Independence hammered out a vicious first quarter, pummeling the Cardinals into a 13-point deficit. The Indees kept up the heat going into the second. Eleva-Strum kept their drive strong, but they could not keep up with Independence’s rapid scoring drives. By halftime, the score stood at 46-22.
The Indees put the E-S team on lock-down in the third, holding them to only five points for the entire quarter. Valiantly, the Cardinals kept their team driving forward through the fourth, though with a dominating hold on the scoreboard, Independence closed out the match 76-41.
Leading the score for Eleva-Strum was Alexis McDonald, who posted 13 points, followed by Taylor Everson with eight and Tatum Everson with six.
The Cardinals are now 1-6 overall. Though the record may seem dismal, the team continues to grow and learn with every match they play. Eleva-Strum will next travel to Royall High School on Dec. 30 for a double-header, with their team set to tip off at 5:30 p.m.
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Sands has been a student writer and contributor for nearly two years. When not writing for the newspaper or taking classes at Eleva-Strum, Sands can be found taking part in a nearby musical production or reconstructing the past with friends in history club. Follow us on Twitter or check out our Facebook page for more updates!
