Blue Jay Girls Win Two Of Three
Stanley’s varsity girls’ basketball team opened their new season on Tuesday, Dec. 2 when they traveled to Killdeer for their first game. They followed that up at the Shootout on the Prairie in Minot on Friday, Dec. 5 and Saturday, Dec. 6.
The team opens their season under new head coach Kendell Hunt. Hunt has done considerable youth coaching over the years in many sports including football, soccer, baseball, flag football and basketball, but this will be his first year coaching varsity basketball. He is joined on the sidelines by assistant coaches Taylor Hanson, McKenzie Jarmin and Michelle Davis. Hanson and Jarmin are new to the varsity coaching ranks this year, but both are familiar faces for Blue Jays fans as both played for Stanley High School. Hunt says that he enjoys seeing the fire they bring to practices.
This year’s varsity squad includes seniors CeeJay Bohmbach, Tylie Johnson and Carly Rismon, juniors Lexi Neset and Annie Roise, sophomores Payton Lystad, Taya Niemitalo, Jacee Johnson and Teigan Moe, freshmen Kennedi Murphy and Maycee Copeland, and eighth grader Kiplee Nordloef. Also on the team are sophomores Camryn Ruiz and Emmalin Graber, freshmen Ava Stafslien, Kaley Uran, Jessa Longmuir and Jessy Roise, eighth graders Evy Davis, Hadley Reum and Keilana Uran, and seventh grader Kamri Niemitalo.
The varsity squad sees returning experience in Bohmbach, Johnson, Neset, Roise, Niemitalo and Moe. While they may be a young team, Hunt says there is a lot of drive on the team. They are changing the way they play this year, wanting to play a fast, conceptual game playing off each other as they space the floor. The girls are buying into the system and improving with each game.
The goal is to shoot the open shot, and after shooting a lot of threes in the Killdeer game, they worked in practice on cracking the shell into the paint. That showed up in the games at the Shootout on the Prairie. They continue to concentrate on recognizing that a lot of good looks for a shot can turn into a great look with the proper spacing. With transitions that spacing can give the advantage before the shot as they play the numbers.
Hunt reminds his players that it is the team that is the most comfortable playing fast that will see results, not just the fastest team. Defensively, they are also working to create as much chaos as they can.
Stanley vs. Killdeer
In their season opener, the Blue Jays traveled to Killdeer on Tuesday, Dec. 2. The teams were tied at the end of the first quarter, but Killdeer took a five point lead into the half. Killdeer held Stanley to just two points in the third quarter while putting up 14 points. The Blue Jays cut into the lead slightly in the fourth, but it was not enough as Killdeer went on to claim the 58 to 43 victory.
Annie Roise led the Blue Jays with 10 points, followed by Kennedi Murphy with 9, Lexi Neset with 7, Payton Lystad and Carly Rismon with 4 each, and Jacee Johnson, Teigan Moe and Kiplee Nordloef with 3 each.
Payton Lystad and CeeJay Bohmbach each had 10 rebounds, followed by Annie Roise with 5, Jacee Johnson and Kiplee Nordloef with 3 each, and Lexi Neset, Teigan Moe, Maycee Copeland, Kennedi Murphy and Tylie Johnson with 1 each.
Annie Roise had 4 assists, followed by Jacee Johnson with 2, and Lexi Neset and Kiplee Nordloef with 1 each.
Teigan Moe and CeeJay Bohmbach each had 3 steals, followed by Jacee Johnson and Annie Roise with 2 each, and Lexi Neset with 1.
Annie Roise had 3 blocks, followed by Payton Lystad and Kiplee Nordloef with 1 each.
Stanley 17 11 2 13 - 43
Killdeer 17 16 14 11 - 58
Stanley vs. Westhope/Newburg
In their first game at the Shootout on the Prairie on Friday, Dec. 5, Stanley met up with Westhope/Newburg. The Blue Jays jumped out to a ten point lead at the end of the first quarter, extending their lead to 21 at the half on their way to the 61 to 27 victory.
Annie Roise led the team with 13 points, followed by Kennedi Murphy with 12, Payton Lystad and Kiplee Nordloef with 8 each, CeeJay Bohmbach with 7, Jacee Johnson with 6, Lexi Neset with 5 and Tylie Johnson with 2.
Payton Lystad had 11 rebounds, followed by CeeJay Bohmbach with 8, Annie Roise with 7, Lexi Neset with 5, Jacee Johnson and Kennedi Murphy with 4 each, Tylie Johnson with 3, Maycee Copeland and Kiplee Nordloef with 2 each, and Carly Rismon with 1.
Jacee Johnson and CeeJay Bohmbach each had 2 assists, followed by Annie Roise and Kiplee Nordloef with 1 each.
Lexi Neset and CeeJay Bohmbach each had 3 steals, followed by Jacee Johnson with 2, and Annie Roise, Kiplee Nordloef and Kennedi Murphy with 1 each.
Lexi Neset, Jacee Johnson, Payton Lystad and Kiplee Nordloef each had 1 block.
Stanley 17 17 14 13 - 61
Westhope/Newburg 7 6 8 6 - 27
Stanley vs. Bishop Ryan
The Blue Jays second game of the Shootout came against Bishop Ryan on Saturday, Dec. 6. The Blue Jays held a two point lead at the end of the first quarter, extending their lead to ten at the half on their way to the 49 to 35 victory.
Kennedi Murphy led the team with 15 points, followed by Lexi Neset with 10, Jacee Johnson with 7, Annie Roise with 6, CeeJay Bohmbach with 5, Payton Lystad with 4 and Maycee Copeland with 2.
Jacee Johnson and Payton Lystad each had 7 rebounds, followed by Annie Roise with 6, Kennedi Murphy with 2, and Lexi Neset, CeeJay Bohmbach, Carly Rismon and Kiplee Nordloef with 1 each.
Annie Roise had 3 assists, followed by Lexi Neset, Payton Lystad, Carly Rismon and Kiplee Nordloef with 1 each.
Jacee Johnson had 3 steals, followed by Kennedi Murphy with 2, and Lexi Neset, Teigan Moe and CeeJay Bohmbach with 1 each.
Jacee Johnson, Payton Lystad and Annie Roise each had 1 block.
Stanley 12 13 17 7 - 49
Bishop Ryan 10 5 9 11 - 35
Up Next: The Blue Jays are in action this week at the Nedrose Tournament which runs December 9, 11, 12 and 13. They were set to face Our Redeemers in their first game on Tuesday. The Blue Jays will have their first home game when they host Powers Lake on Thursday, Dec. 18 with A, B and C squads set to play.