Lady Jets top SCC in sub-state opener
BUFFALO – For the first time in more than a decade, the Altoona-Midway girls’ basketball team has advanced past the first-round in postseason play.
Altoona-Midway, seeded seventh in the Class 1A-II Sub-State bracket, advanced to the semifinals with a convincing 38-18 thrashing of 10th-seed Southern Coffey County here Tuesday before a delighted crowd at Milo Peterson Gymnasium.
With the victory, the Lady Jets advance to the sub-state semifinal round, where they will square off against second-seed Marais des Cygnes Valley.
MDCV, 19-4, earned a first-round bye. The Lady Trojans will host Altoona-Midway on Monday, March 2, at Melvern. Tip-off for that matchup is slated for 6 p.m.
It was the first postseason victory for the Altoona-Midway girls since 2014, when the Lady Jets defeated Elk Valley 50-48 in a first-round tilt before being eliminated by Argonia. The AMHS girls also advanced to the second-round of the playoffs in 2015, but that was by virtue of a forfeit over Crest.
“I am so delighted for these girls. They can be very proud of this accomplishment,” said AMHS girls’ coach Jessica Porter. “It was a very fun game, and I was happy to see all the girls enjoy the game and have fun.”
The win also improved the Lady Jets record to 6-18 on the season and snapped an eight-game losing streak. The six victories equal their win total from last year, which was the most victories compiled by the AMHS girls since a 13-8 record in 2007-08.
“We had a lot of adversity to deal with this season, but the girls have hung in there and worked hard to continue to move this program forward in the right direction,” Porter said. “I am very proud of every one of them.”
AMHS GIRLS vs. SCC
There’s an old axiom in basketball, “It’s hard to defeat a team three times.” Well, the Altoona-Midway girls brushed away that superstition and did it one better, rolling past Southern Coffey County 38-18 for their fourth victory over the Lady Titans this season.
Prior to Tuesday’s sub-state triumph, the Lady Jets also defeated SCC in two tournament matchups, as well as their regular-season Three Rivers League tilt.
Altoona-Midway got off to a slow start offensively, but still managed a 6-1 lead after one period. In the second stanza, the Jets exploded for 17 points to build a commanding 23-4 advantage at intermission.
“I was very happy with the way we played,” Porter said. “We had good ball movement, ran the floor well, and our defense came up with numerous steals.”
Junior sharpshooter Jasa Pankaskie drained a pair of three-pointers during the second-quarter surge and had an outstanding offensive performance for AMHS, finishing with 19 points.
The Lady Jets also got eight points from Keyleigh Clines, six from Ava Tindle, and five from Destiny Raymond.
Southern Coffey County was limited to a pair of field goals and two free throws prior to the fourth quarter. Marlow led the Lady Titans with eight points, and Riedinger chipped in six.
Pankaskie and Tindle were credited with seven rebounds and five steals apiece in the contest. Clines added five boards for the winners.
AMHS will have its hands full in next week’s semifinal matchup. The two teams met in the Valley Tip-off Classic back in December, and the host Trojans waltzed away with a 67-4 win.
“We know facing Marais des Cygnes Valley will be a tall order. They’re a very talented team,” Porter said. “But I do know this – these girls will show up, play hard, and give it their best shot.”