By Araya Gomez
The Lady Mustangs struggled to find an offensive rhythm early in their matchup against Axtell on Tuesday, December 9. Silver Lake trailed 10-1 with just over a minute remaining in the first quarter before a late surge shifted the momentum. Head coach Kate Sinsel noted the team’s slow start. “The first possessions of the game were ugly. We took some shots a little too quickly, and we couldn’t get into a rhythm offensively, which kept us from pressing,” Sinsel said. “There was a moment at the end of the first quarter when I saw a switch in the energy and confidence in the girls, and I felt confident that we could overcome the deficit. Once we were able to put on some pressure, I knew that we could calm down and play our basketball.” The Mustangs responded with an 11-0 run in the final minute of the opening quarter to take a 12–10 lead. The second period featured back-and-forth play, with Silver Lake holding a slim 25–21 advantage at halftime.
The game remained tightly contested throughout the third quarter, ending in a 31-31 tie heading into the final period. In the fourth quarter, Silver Lake finally pulled away behind key defensive plays and second-chance points. Senior Sophie Schmidt came up with multiple steals and converted in transition, while MaKenna Karr provided a spark inside with offensive rebounds and put-backs. Holding a six-point lead late, the Mustangs were sent to the free-throw line as Axtell was forced to foul. Schmidt knocked down six of six free throws to seal a 45–36 victory.
Later in the week, Silver Lake hosted the Elba Bluejays on Friday and handed Elba its first loss of the season with a 35–24 win. Schmidt recorded a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, marking her fourth consecutive game with at least 19 points. Sophomore Libby Soucek added nine points, while senior MaKenna Karr contributed six points and a team-high 12 rebounds. “I thought our defense looked really strong the entire game,” Sinsel said. “We forced 26 turnovers, and we used our defense to score when our offense was struggling to get anything going.” The two victories extended the Lady Mustangs’ winning streak to three games and improved their record to 3–1.