LA VETA– The number-four team in the state continued their march to state as they defeated the Hoehne Farmers 57-50 last Thursday. The following night the Skins narrowly held off the Sanford Indian’s assault 33-31. Both games were physical and a testimony to the tenacity of the young Redskin team.
On Thursday, the rivalry against Hoehne hit the hardwoods on La Veta’s home court, and from the initial tip-off, La Veta was in a battle. The first half of play saw both teams executing an aggressive defense with man-to-man coverage. The schools traded buckets during the first half, but near the end, the Redskins pulled away, 24-20.
Their momentum continued in the second half as La Veta went on a 7-2 run and took a controlling 31-22 lead. Several turnovers midway in the third saw La Veta’s lead dwindle to three, 33-30 Hoehne found themselves in foul trouble, giving the Redskins a bonus situation. Shelby Morgan took full advantage, hitting two critical shots for a 43-38 lead. The Farmers could not come any closer because the aggressive defensive play of Christina Koutnik and Sami Willhoite stopped the Farmer comeback. Willhoite exploded with 22 points. Morgan scored 20 with 5 boards. Koutnik was leading the team in rebounds with 6.
On Saturday, the Redskins narrowly escaped a comeback by the Sanford Indians but keep their 13-game winning streak intact, 33-31. It was one of the most defensive shows of the season and the team’s lowest offensive output. Poor shooting from the field plagued La Veta: they shot 8 of 25 from the field and 0 of 8 from the three-point circle. It was also an aggressive game as the Indians attacked the ball at every opportunity, committing 36 personal fouls compared to La Veta’s 9. The Skins maintained their calm even though they were attacked at every opportunity. The Redskins maintained a comfortable 7-point lead as the fourth quarter began, but almost let it slip away because of failure to convert free throws to points, shooting 17 of 36.
La Veta will wrap up the season this weekend on the road with games against Sangre de Cristo (11-6) tonight and Antonito (0-17) tomorrow.
