Pender Girls come up short at State to Pleasanton

The Pender Girls Basketball Team lost 66-56 to eventual State Champion Pleasanton in the first round of the State Tournament at Lincoln Southwest on Thursday.

The Bulldogs got out to a 20-15 lead after one. Both teams scored 16 points in the 2nd quarter, and the halftime score was 36-31 in favor of Pleasanton.

The Pendragons won the 3rd quarter 13-11 to make it a 47-44 game at the end of three.

The Bulldogs outscored Pender 19-12 in the 4th quarter.

The Pendragons definitely could have won this game. I heard Pleasanton shot something like 46 free throws, like they were 34-46 from the free throw line. That's crazy.

Pender's season wraps up at 17-12.

It was a good year overall for the Pendragons.

Anytime you qualify for State you are doing something right.

Faith Morris and Jessica Krueger are the only players lost to graduation.

Key returners include Reese Kneifl, Caitlyn Heise, Zoey Lehmkuhl, Ashley Ostrand, Skyler Prokop, Lillie Timm, Claire Felber, Olyvia Nelson, and Dawson Anderson.

I look for Pender to make another State Tournament run next year, and perhaps win a game or two down at Lincoln.

The thing about all 6 teams that we had qualify for state this year is that none were senior laden and have a chance to get back next year.

Throw in GACC and there could be 7 teams that qualify for State next year.

If all of them make it next season hopefully we'll be able to cover all the games.

It would have been awesome to have been able to cover the Pendragons' State Tournament Game on the Bull this year.

Game times just didn't workout in our favor this year though.

Perhaps they will next year.

Pender has to really get after things this offseason, and must go out there and be gym rats.

The Pendragons have to be relentless with their offseason workouts and conditioning and game playing.

Pender has to shoot as much as possible in the offseason and improve and hone their skills overall.

The Pendragons have to be thinking big things such as get back to Lincoln next year.

Next year sets up very nicely for the Pendragons to make another State run, and I'm very excited to see what Pender can do next season.