FLEMING GIRLS HOOPS CRUISES TO GREAT 8

All season long, Fleming girls hoops has found ways to wade through tough competition, all while keeping their heads above .500.

That success in the face of adversity earned the Wildcats the No. 11 seed for the Class 1A state tournament and gave them quite the boon when it came to facing tough competition in the postseason.

First, the Wildcats faced off with No. 22 Arickaree and promptly sent the Bison packing in a 37-20 victory. Seven ladies in all got on the board in the win, led by senior Kally Kirkwood’s 18 points and seven steals, and senior Madison Harms’ 12 rebounds. None of the Bison scored more than six points.

That victory propelled the Wildcats into the Sweet 16 against No. 6 Kiowa, who entered the contest riding high with a 19-3 record. Fleming brought the Indians back down to earth.

The Wildcats battled a bit harder against Kiowa before it, too, was sent packing prematurely with a 44-36 Fleming win. This time around, freshman Ciana Lousberg took the reins of the offense with 14 points and backed up that effort with seven rebounds. Kirkwood added another 10 points, six rebounds, three assists and four steals.

Now, the ladies will shift their focus onto their Great 8 matchup against No. 3 Briggsdale, which is set to take place on Thursday at 8:45 a.m. The Wildcats know the Falcons well, having lost to them twice already this season by scores of 64-30 and 50-41, the latter of which ended in overtime.

Fleming boys end run in first round

Much like the ladies, the Fleming boys earned their bid to the postseason as the No. 13 seed, meaning they had to face off with No. 20 Springfield in the first round of the state tournament. The Longhorns, however, had an upset on their minds.

After battling it out for four full quarters, Fleming’s comeback bid in the fourth frame fell just short as the Longhorns went on to win 64-60, ending the Wildcats’ season then and there. Senior Braylen Feather scored 31 points in the effort.

The boys ended their season with a 13-8 record after winning the 1A North Central League, going 4-0.

KARIANNE DONNELSON — OTSPORTSCHEK Fleming High School’s Lexi Schaefer avoids competitors as she takes the ball down the court during the Wildcats’ 37-20win over Arickaree Friday, March 3, 2023.

KARIANNE DONNELSON — OTSPORTSCHEK Fleming High School’s Nolan Japp takes a shot during the Wildcats’ 53-42loss to Peetz Feb. 25, 2023.