Halfway through Little Hawkeye Conference and nearly two-thirds of the way through the regular season, the Pella Christian girls basketball team (2-11 overall, 0-7 in LHC) is searching for answers to a nine-game losing streak and seeking ways to be more competitive in the 2nd rotation of the league’s round robin. The Eagles missed opportunities at winnable games recently at Newton and vs. Knoxville and Oskaloosa, and while their effort was elevated against rival-Pella on Thursday, there still seems to be more room for improvement before P.C. climbs back into the win column. While they won’t make excuses, injuries, illness, and outside activities have turned into five different starting combinations multiple times and only one player — Joslyn Terpstra, who has been introduced in the opening lineups every game this season. Playing the 6th toughest schedule in Class 2A, according to BCMoore, has only made the situation more difficult.
Head Coach Brad Engbers on the first half of the LHC season:
“We’ve played some of our best basketball against some of the best teams and when I look back at some of our effort in those games, I have so much respect for our kids who come in day in and day out — we are playing some kids who were playing 8th grade basketball last year and they haven’t seen the likes of what we’re facing in the Little Hawkeye Conference. We’re not using that as an excuse — we know that’s making us better all the time, but what we’re asking these kids to do is to come out against these high quality teams and with their heads held high at the end of the game knowing the they gave some of their best effort, that’s what we’re all about.”
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First Half Conference Stat Leaders:
Joslyn Terpstra, junior guard – 15.4 PPG (4th in LHC), 3.9 steals per game (1st in LHC), free throws made per game (4.3)
Faith Kacmarynski, freshman guard – 4.7 rebounds per game (11th in LHC)
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Games to watch coming up:
Pella at Des Moines Christian (Wells Fargo Arena) – Monday 1/24 (92.1 KRLS)
With five ranked LHC teams remaining on the docket, it might be a refreshing breath of air for the Eagles to step away from the league for the final team before the 2A playoffs against long-time rival Des Moines Christian. The Lions are not the regional finals team of 2021 or state tournament team of 2020 — while they will be formidable, a week of practice looming for P.C. may be of great benefit for this clash.
Pella vs. Newton – Friday 2/4 (92.1 KRLS/Pella Christian High School YouTube)
Homecoming and the Cardinals on the other side of the floor may be the best chance the Eagles have at finding victory in the homestretch. In the matchup at Newton, Pella Christian’s girls held a 20-15 third quarter lead, but the Cardinals ripped off a 13-0 run and never looked back.