By Hailee Knehans
The Lady Mustangs opened their 2026 season with a pair of Twin Valley Conference matchups against Red Cloud and Deshler. Head coach Kate Sinsel noted the challenge of facing two very different opponents to begin the year. “Red Cloud and Deshler have two very different teams with different strengths,” Sinsel said. “Red Cloud is a quick team that puts five players on the floor who can all be scoring threats. On the other hand, Deshler is tall and slows the game down to more of a half-court setting. They will be difficult for us to match up with size-wise.”
Silver Lake opened the season against the Red Cloud Warriors, a young and athletic team. The first quarter was competitive, as both teams showed early-season jitters that led to turnovers and quick scoring opportunities. The Mustangs held a narrow 14-11 lead after one quarter. Red Cloud gained momentum in the second period, outscoring Silver Lake 16–5 to take control of the game. After halftime, the teams traded baskets, with the Warriors extending their lead slightly to take a nine-point advantage into the final quarter. In the fourth quarter, Silver Lake’s defense stepped up, holding Red Cloud scoreless. A clutch short-corner jumper from senior Karah Bartels tied the game at 39-39 at the end of regulation and forced overtime. However, shooting struggles continued for the Mustangs in the extra period, and Red Cloud’s Camrie Fangmeyer banked in a three-pointer from the top of the key to seal a 42–40 overtime win.
Senior Sophie Schmidt led Silver Lake with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Sophomore Libby Soucek and senior MaKenna Karr each added nine points. Karr also pulled down 13 rebounds, while Soucek contributed seven. “I knew in the first matchup of the season we would struggle with handling some jitters, and I think that contributed to our shooting and some of the turnovers,” Sinsel said. “However, Red Cloud is an incredible team that I know will have a solid season this year. I am disappointed with the loss, but I think we can learn a lot from losing a close matchup to a great team that is coached very well.”
The Mustangs had little time to dwell on the loss, as they returned to action the following night against Deshler. Silver Lake responded with a strong start, jumping out to an 18–6 lead in the first quarter. Both teams scored 10 points in the second period, allowing the Mustangs to carry a 10-point lead into halftime. Coming out of the break, Silver Lake took control of the game, opening the third quarter with a dominant 15–2 scoring run to put the Dragons away. The Mustangs maintained their composure the rest of the way, securing a 53–35 victory.
Three players reached double figures in scoring, led by Schmidt with 20 points. Karr added 15, and Soucek finished with 10. Karr and Schmidt were also strong on the boards, grabbing nine and eight rebounds, respectively. Schmidt recorded a double-double with 12 steals to go along with her scoring effort. “I was happy with how we bounced back after losing the previous night,” Sinsel said. “It’s not easy to lose in overtime and then wake up the next day ready to play. I thought we did a good job of following the game plan defensively. We were able to force 30 turnovers, which allowed us to score in transition. We still need to be a little more selective with our shot selection and work the ball offensively, but we are finding ways to score when our offense is a little stagnant. Our defensive and rebounding efforts, especially when we are outsized, will help us win games this season.”