Lady Mountain Goats working hard to get better

Sport: Chelan Girls Basketball
Coach: Nick Longmire
How many on the team/squad: Eleven
Number of seniors: Eight


Chelan 25, Okanogan 70

Dec. 13
CHELAN - The Chelan Lady Goats faced the Okanogan Bulldogs tonight in another non-league matchup after having Saturday night’s contest canceled against Royal due to weather conditions.
The Bulldogs came off of a strong season finishing 3rd last year in the State 2B finals against the Liberty Lancers.
Though tonight’s contest was the first game of the season for the Bulldogs, they did not miss a beat from last season’s successful year.
The Bulldogs were dominant from the beginning both offensively and defensively despite struggling to convert from behind the arc in the first quarter. Their defense proved worthy however, as they shut out the Goats in the first quarter.
The Goats converted only one field goal in the first half in addition to a pair of free throws that left the score 38-4 in favor of the Bulldogs.
The Goats came out of the locker room with nothing to lose and were able to get something going offensively. The Goats continued to convert offensively in the 4th quarter as they attacked the rim in the second half.
“It is difficult for any team to play against a team of that caliber. Okanogan is a great team. Our team could have very well decided to throw in the towel in the second half but they are all competitors and don’t give up! It takes true character for a team to keep fighting despite a 34 point deficit at halftime. I am proud of our team and we work hard to get better each time we step on the court for practice. We will continue to get better and strive for excellence as a program and that is all I can ask,” states Head Coach Nick Longmire.
The final score of the game 70-25 in favor of the Bulldogs. Juliana Perez led in scoring for the Goats with 10. Brynn Hughbanks scored 8. Kira Sandoval contributed 4 and Jailyn Reinhart added 3.

Chelan 44,
Omak 53

Dec. 16
CHELAN - The Omak Pioneers made their way down to Chelan tonight to square off against the Chelan Mountain Goats. The Mountain Goats are coming off of a sizable loss against Okanogan earlier in the week and were looking to get back on the floor to prove their adjustments.
The Goats came out strong matching the Pioneers in the first quarter including a buzzer beating 3 pointer to tie it up with the Pioneers at the end the first quarter 12-12.
The Goats started falling behind slightly in the 2nd quarter and went into the locker room trailing by 8 points. The Goats however put the pressure on the Pioneers by drawing multiple fouls on the Pioneers. The Goats found themselves in the bonus by the end of the first quarter.
By the end of the 3rd quarter the Goats had cut into the lead but still trailed by 7.
The Goats couldn’t gain any traction on the Pioneers in the final quarter and ended the game losing by 9 with a final score of 53-44
“We were finally able to put four quarters together. Though we still have a lot of work to do as team to get better, we played our best basketball tonight that I have seen all season. It has taken a little longer than what I would have liked. but the pieces are just starting to fall into place. This is a good place for us to leap forward from”, says Head Coach, Nick Longmire.
Juliana Perez led all scores for the Goats with 12. Senior Kira Sandoval added 11 and Freshman Brynn Hughbanks followed with 10. Arabelle Finch contributed  for the Goats and Freshman Jayden Simmons added 3.
The Goats had a tough matchup on Tuesday night (Dec. 20) against the defending league champion Cashmere Bulldogs.