The #6 ranked (Class A) West Central Trojans faced the #6 ranked (Class B) Colman-Egan Hawks in the final game of the day at the Dakota Valley Conference Classic in Colman on Saturday, January 23rd. The Colman-Egan Hawks made two free throws in the final thirty seconds to steal a 46-44 victory away from the Trojans.
The Trojans started the game on fire. After each team traded baskets early, West Central ended the first quarter with a 19-8 lead. From that point Colman-Egan ramped up the pressure but was able to stay out of foul trouble. The Hawks cut the lead to 19-14 with 2:30 to go in the second quarter and then pulled within three points, 23-20, by halftime.
Colman-Egan continued their push in the second half. They eventually took the lead, 31-30, with 1:50 to play in the third quarter. Their lead grew to 35-30 with :25 left, but Wests Central cut the lead to 36-33 going into the fourth quarter. Colman-Egan held the lead for most of the fourth quarter, but the Trojans tied the score 44-44 with 1:17 left to play. A drive to the basket by Colman-Egan with about :30 resulted in a foul and two free throws. Both foul shots were made to give the Hawks a 46-44 lead. A last second three-point shot from the right wing fell just short giving Colman-Egan the victory.
West Central shot 31% (17-54) in the game and 29% (6-21) from three-point area. Colman-Egan shot 33% (13-39) overall from the field and 31% (4-13) on three-point shots. The advantage for the Hawks came from the free-throw line. The Hawks finished 16-21 from the charity stripe, while West Central was just 4-8 on free throws.
Mackenzie Skonhovd had 14 points and six rebounds. Kacey Jaton ended with seven points, four rebounds, and four assists. Abbi Thornton finished with six points. Ayla Kramer had five points and five rebounds. Ellie Knight had three points, five assists, and three steals. Bailey Stallman, Ella Harden, and Kaylie Schultz all had three points each.
