(Anita) CAM rallies to defeat Payton-Churdan 60-53 in a Class 1A girl’s Region 2 semi-final basketball game at Anita on Friday night.
Eva Steffenson scored 22-points, Zoey Baylor finished with 10-points, Marissa Spieker, 9, and Molly Venteicher scored 8-points to lead the Cougars. Danielle Hoyle led Paton-Churdan with 20-points, and Tessa Steimel finished with 18.
The Rockets shot out to a 12-point lead in the first half behind some “hot shooting” from behind the three-point line. Steimel splashed down five three–point baskets and Chloe Berns buried the other three, and Paton-Churdan led 30-22 at the break.
“The first half we settled for jump shots, and we were 2-14 from behind the arc,”
said CAM Head Coach Joe Woolum. “The emphasis at halftime was to be more aggressive and drive to the basket, and play inside-out and the three’s will fall.”
The Cougars took the message to heart. CAM raced out to a 9-0 run. Meredith Rich knocked down a three-point shot to bring the home team within one, 30-29, and Eva Steffenson knocked a two-point bucket to push the Cougars to a 31-30 advantage. The lead exchanged hands three more times before Paton-Churdan regained a narrow 38-36 lead at the end of the third frame.
CAM grabbed the lead back for good in the final stanza. Meredith Rich’s steal and a layup knotted the game at 38-38. Steffenson and Marissa Spieker drained back-to-back three-point buckets, and CAM never trailed again. The Cougars slowed the pace and forced the Rockets to foul. CAM connected on 7-12 free throws down the stretch to secure the 60-53 win.
“We shot the ball a lot better in the second half, and the defense was better in the second half which led us to some easy runouts,” said Woolum. “I’m proud of our girls and the way they battled all night.”
CAM extends their record to 17-6 and squares off against Newell-Fonda in a Regional Final on Wednesday, February 24. Paton-Churdan bows out with a 16-6 record.
