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Lady Tigers' basketball season ends following loss to Skyview at district
After suffering a 68-36 loss to Caldwell in the opening round of the 4A SIC district tournament earlier this month, Lady Tigers head coach Brent Keener was looking for one thing from his team -- competitive fire.
The coach wasn't disappointed as the Lady Tigers turned in their best effort against Skyview -- last season's state runner up -- three days later.
The Feb. 9 game was tightly contested throughout with 19 lead changes. Freshman Adrie Blanksma led all scorers with a game-high 25 points. Captain Anna Pedroza was an anchor on the defensive side of the court with seven rebounds and three steals.
However, the Hawks would win the contest, 53-44, off a 9-0 run in the final two minutes of the contest.
The Mountain Home Lady Tigers had four seniors on their roster for the 2015-2016 season -- Sophia Harris, Julia Burton, Willow Freer and Ashten Harrigan.
"The girls basketball program had a lot of turnover from the previous season, and there was a shift in the approach to the game of basketball," Kenner said. "The only way that change can transpire is if there is stability and leadership."
The Lady Tigers leaned heavily on the senior class to help usher in the new era of girls basketball, the coach added.
"While the goal for every senior class is the pursuit of a state championship, the class of 2016 should not be dismissed easily because they fell short of that goal," he added. "The senior class served as valuable mentors for the rest of the program. The seniors were supportive of all three high school teams, and did not just focus on themselves. All four seniors were team players, and embraced the 'we over me' mantra that the program preaches."
While none of the seniors received accolades, they were a part of something more, Kenner said.
"The senior class displayed a blue collar work ethic in the offseason, open gyms, practices and games," the coach emphasized. "Regardless of situation and score, these four players gave maximum effort any time their high tops hit the hardwood. When the four players were on the bench, they picked their teammates up after a mistake and became their biggest fans after a great play."
These four players made a positive impact on a program that was undergoing changes, the coach emphasized. The program could not have made these positive changes without buy in from these four student athletes. Their legacy will live on through the teammates they leave behind.
Despite finishing the season with only two wins, Keener remains optimistic for next season.