The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG - Waitsburg Middle School girls basketball team has improved over the last couple of games. The group comprises seven sixth-graders and three seventh-graders, with only four girls with previous basketball experience.

Playing against eighth graders has been challenging. The girls play hard, yet their shots have not been falling.

The young Cardinals played Rogers in back-to-back games, losing the first by a score of 24-14 and the second 17-10.  Olivia Kiefel led the team in scoring with six points in each game.

 Against Desales, the Cardinals lost a close game 26-24.  Olivia Kiefel scored 12 points in the game, had seven steals, and rebounded eleven.  Kayla Kuykendall and Lillian Carpenter scored four points each, and Audrey Kiefel scored two points and rebounded five. Madyson Potter scored two points, and Kaitlyn Paul contributed seven rebounds.

 Liberty Christian of Richland's eighth graders beat Waitsburg 29-11 on February 8. During the fifth quarter of play, LCR played their seventh-graders, and the Cardinals won 9-0. Olivia Kiefel led the team in scoring with eight points. She rebounded 13 and had six steals. Audrey Kiefel scored six points and rebounded eight. Paul scored three points and rebounded seven, Carpenter scored two points, and Potter had one point.

 The girls have out-rebounded their taller opponents in four of their five games.  Sophia Castillo, Tanna Ray, Lucy LaCross, and Maeci Strickland have contributed with rebounds and strong defense.