The Cardinals girls basketball team used its commanding defense and deep roster of playmakers to clinch a spot in the state tournament with a 41-35 win over Wamego on Saturday.
The team celebrated by swarming the student section and lifting the substate trophy high as the fight song blared from the band. The team cut down one of the nets to mark the win.
It was an intense, back-and-forth game played in front of a packed gym.
“I think this is a surreal moment,” sophomore Brynn Deterding said. “We’ve worked so hard all season.”
The Cardinals fell behind early after failing to capitalize on some good looks from the floor. Head coach Brandon Parker said he expected the first few minutes of the game to be dictated by adrenaline, but the Cardinals were able to settle in and pull ahead with a strong second quarter.
Parker said he was grateful for the packed crowd and how the team used some big plays to channel the energy for its benefit. In the third quarter, stifling defense from senior Hanna Keltner forced a costly Wamego turnover. Then, a Keltner offensive rebound led to a bucket from senior Miranda Kuntz thanks to a smart pass from Deterding. The series forced a Wamego timeout and energized the Eudora crowd.
“Our crowd was excellent,” Parker said. “The student body, the community, they really helped us to get that extra juice.”
The team will play next Thursday in Salina. Players and Parker said they wanted to take time to enjoy the big win before turning their attention toward state.
“If you were to tell me last year that we’d be going to state, I would kind of laugh at you, honestly,” senior Hanna Keltner said. “We’ve come so far as a team. Our entire roster has never seen a state game, so it’s really cool to see how we can handle pressure.”
Reach reporter Cuyler Dunn at [email protected]
