The Gunnison High School girls basketball season came to an end over the weekend after their loss in the first round of the state playoffs.
The Cowboys entered the tournament as the 27th seed and traveled to Colorado Springs to take on the number six seed Colorado Springs Christian in the first game of the tournament on Friday, March 6.
The girls lost the game 50-16 behind poor first quarter defense and an off-night on offense.
“We got kind of shellacked in the first quarter,” said head coach Chad Terry. “The truth of the matter is, we just did not show up offensively at all.”
After the first eight minutes the Cowboys found themselves in an 18-2 hole. Terry noted that they did switch defenses after the first quarter and were able to hold the lions to an average of just over 10 points in the next three quarters. The offense just didn’t produce enough to keep up with the scoring of Colorado Springs Christian.
Despite the outcome, Terry was pleased with the defense the girls played in the final three quarters and that all 11 girls that traveled got to play meaningful minutes at some point in the game.
Terry emphasized to his team after the game that only one team in 3A gets to end their season with a win.
“We're going to celebrate the good things and honor our seniors and not let one game that didn't go the way we wanted it to really define [the season],” said Terry.
This season was a success in Terry’s eyes because of the camaraderie in the locker room. In terms of basketball, Terry noted that the team’s defense all year was impressive as well and certainly something to be proud of.
“There was never a time this season where it was like, oh, I've got to go practice, what a drag,” said Terry. “They stayed upbeat and enjoyed one another right to the very end, so that was certainly huge.”
The girls finished the season with a 10-14 record overall and a 6-8 record in league play. After going 2-5 in the first month of the season, the girls went 8-8 the rest of the way, largely due to the leadership of the senior group.
Ashlyn Cowan, Josie Whinnery, Caroline Sudderth and Kaylee Vincent played their last game in a Cowboy uniform on Friday.
Terry emphasized that the four seniors did a great job making the younger kids feel welcome on the team. Their presence held the team together throughout the season and gave a great picture to next year’s seniors of how to be leaders.
On the court, Cowan was a steady post presence all year and one of the Cowboys’ biggest offensive threats, Vincent was able to play anywhere on the court and make an impact, Whinnery was known for her hustle on the court and Sudderth was an important role player, said Terry.
With the season in the rearview mirror, the preparation for next season will start soon.
The girls will be traveling to team camps and competing in scrimmages this spring and summer. The emphasis will be on learning how to play faster because next year’s team will be smaller, noted Terry.
“I’m just really proud of the girls,” said Terry. “We started the season with 29 girls and we finished with 29 girls, from JV, to C, to varsity. And so that's a testimony of the culture they've created.”
Jack Sellner can be reached at jsellner@orourkemediagroup.com.
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