Lady Bulldogs lose by just five against Duchesne
By Benjamin Thornberg
02-21-2019
EPHRAIM—The Gunnison Valley girls’ basketball team put forth a mighty effort in the last quarter against Duchesne in the first round of the 2A playoffs, before finally losing 39-34.
“I am proud of this team and everything they accomplished,” said Head Coach Melissa Sorensen. “In our game against Duchesne, we did not play consistent enough. We started off strong, and made a good run toward the end of the game. We just had an energy let down in the middle.”
Coming into the game, Sorensen knew her team would have to manage the significant size advantage for the Lady Eagles. The Lady Bulldogs started the game by utilizing their quickness to force several turnovers, and employed a pesky defense. It was enough to gain a 9-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
But Duchesne’s size began to take effect in the second quarter, and the Lady Eagles took control. The Lady Bulldogs had a very difficult time trying to score in the paint, and gave up a lot of fouls trying to defend the larger Lady Eagles.
Behind 10 points to begin the fourth quarter, the Lady Bulldogs came out with renewed energy and mounted a comeback. Gunnison cut into the Duchesne lead, but could not get any closer than 5 points. Duchesne displayed a tough defense to stymy Gunnison’s comeback efforts, pressuring the Lady Bulldogs into 11 turnovers.
The Lady Bulldogs had several players contribute to their efforts. Sheridan Sorensen was leading scorer of the game with 11 points. Kezzley Winn contributed 6 points and Taryn Thompson added 5 points.
“Even though the season did not end how we would have liked, it has still been a good season,” said Sorensen. “We qualified for the eight team state tournament. Our program as a whole, with the varsity, JV and C team, had a winning record. The varsity beat North Sevier for the first time in 20 years. There were many good things that happened.”
Gunnison Valley finished the year with a 10-12 record overall, and 3-8 in Region 18, good for fifth place.
