Goodon's Double-Double Powers Broncos Past Warriors
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Sterling (9-4, 5-2) | 14 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 63 |
|
Hastings (9-4, 4-3) | 19 | 22 | 25 | 23 | 89 |
(Hastings, NE) – Sophomore Rachel Goodon dominated the game on both ends of the court, finishing with 20 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the 89-63 win over the Sterling College Warriors to close out the calendar year on Monday. The Broncos held the Warriors without a made three-pointer, allowing just four three-point attempts.
After a hectic start to the game with four turnovers and four missed shots between the two teams, freshman McKenna Yates, who had eight first quarter points, got the Broncos on the board with a pair of free throws at the 8:43 mark. Yates got Hastings' second basket as well, following up her missed three with a bucket.
With 4:33 left, Yates scored again, then a steal by freshman Jentri Marx turned into a three-pointer by fellow freshman Ann Bose, who both came off the bench to go up 13-7. Sterling cut the lead to three near the end of the quarter, but Marx scored at the buzzer to take a 19-14 lead after one.
The Warriors opened the second quarter with the first four points, but Hastings countered with a 10-4 run, including four points each from Goodon and junior Macy Bryant. Leading 34-26 with 3:40 left in the half, Bryant and sophomore Tathis Arredondo each drilled a three on consecutive possessions to help the Broncos take a 41-32 halftime lead.
Hastings held the Warriors to 41 percent shooting in the half, while shooting 50 percent themselves and outrebounding Sterling, 20-14. Bryant was the high-scorer in the half with nine, while Goodon added six points and nine rebounds.
Goodon, who contributed 14 of her 20 points in the second half, scored right off the bat in the second half on the feed from Bryant to give Hastings an 11-point lead. The Warriors would briefly get back within single digits, but a Bose three pushed the lead back to 12 with 6:14 left in the third for good. Goodon and Bose combined for 15 points in the quarter to put the Broncos up 58-42 with 3:20 left in the period.
Leading 58-44 with less than 90 seconds left in the third, sophomore Bailey Kissinger scored a tough bucket inside while drawing the foul on Sterling. She completed the three-point play with a free throw, then after a Warrior basker, Kissinger scored again inside. Sterling answered with a two, but a Yates buzzer-beating three gave Hastings a 66-48 lead going to the fourth quarter.
Hastings controlled the fourth quarter as well, outscoring the Warriors 23-15, as Goodon had six points and four rebounds in the quarter, while Yates added five points. Kissinger got the opening basket of the half to grow the lead to 20, then Yates dropped in her second three of the game.
Sterling got within 17, but Hastings responded with a 16-7 run, as Bryant, Goodon, and Bose each had four points during the stretch to down the Warriors, 89-63. Hastings shot 53 percent for the game and was 36 percent from three. The Broncos forced 15 turnovers, capitalizing with 16 points off of them, and had 31 bench points for the game.
Goodon's 20 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks led the way, followed by 18 points and three assists from Yates. Bose had 14 points in just 13 minutes off the bench and added four rebounds, while Bryant scored 13 points. Kissinger also provided a spark off the bench with seven points and a team-high six assists, while Arredondo chipped in five points and five assists.
Hastings will resume conference play with a road contest at (RV) Northwestern on Thursday, Jan. 2 at 2pm.
