Lady Wildcats Go 1-2 To Close Regular Season Play

By Greg Perkins
   The Lady Wildcats played two nailbiters last week, resulting in a win and a loss, then fell in a big way in their final home game of the season.
   Playing Mogollon on Tuesday in Heber, Joseph City was able to overcome a scoreless second period and battled back in the second half to force overtime before winning the contest, 35-34.
   The Lady Cats played well in the first period and led by four points, but in the second they went without a single point and trailed by eight at the half. That deficit grew to double digits heading to the fourth, where the Lady Wildcat defense came to life, holding the Lady Mustangs to just four points in the final period and only three in the overtime session.
   Jaci Penrod led the team with 12 points and also had four steals. Natalie Griffith added 7 and pulled down 10 rebounds. Ivorie Cochran scored 4, as did Mackenzie Fields, who added 8 rebounds. Taylor Hill, Brianna Massey and Shealynn Hill each scored 2, and Shelby Fish added 2 with 4 steals.
   As a team, the Lady Cats had 14 steals and made 11 turnovers. Had they shot better from the free throw line they may have avoided overtime. At the charity stripe they hit just five of 22 attempts.
Jos. City    11 0 6 14 4 35
Mogollon    7 12 8   4 3 34
   Friday night’s home game produced another close outcome, but this time the Lady Wildats came up just short, losing to St. Michaels by three, 42-39.
   Joseph City started slowly scoring just four in the first period and trailed by eight heading to the second. In the second the Lady Cats scored better, but found themselves down by 10 at the half. The third period marked a strong comeback, where the Lady Wildcats fought their way back again with defense holding the Lady Cardinals to just three points. Joseph City headed to the fourth with a three-point lead, but St. Michaels caught them, then passed them to get the three-point win.
   Again the Lady Wildcats struggled from the free throw line, making just five of 14. They did create 18 steals, which offset 20 turnovers.
   The Lady Cats were led in scoring by Fish with 10. Penrod added 8, Cochran 7, Griffith had 6 with seven rebounds, Fields scored 4, Lexi Edwards, 2, and Shealynn Hill netted 2 and pulled down nine boards. Massey didn’t score, but helped with seven rebounds and nine steals.
St. Michael   12 12 3 15 42
Joseph City    4 10 16 9 39
   On Saturday night the Lady Wildcats honored their seniors, Shelby Fish, Jaci Penrod, Natalie Griffith, Shealynn Hill and Loucinda Jensen, who played their final home game of the season. That final game didn’t start real well and certainly didn’t end well as the Lady Cats lost 49-31 to visiting Rock Point.
   The Lady Cats fell behind by eight at the end of the first, then scored just four points in the second to trail by 11 at the half. They scored better in the second half, but in the fourth period Rock Point scored 21 points to put the game away.
   Cochran led the team with 8 points and four steals. Fields added 6 with eight boards, Massey had 4, Griffith also netted 4 with seven rebounds, Shealynn Hill added 4 with three rebounds and Penrod scored 5.
   As a team, the Lady Wildcats went eight for 18 at the free throw line, had 14 steals and committed 20 turnovers.
Rock Point    13 7   8 21 49
Joseph City     5 4 11 11 31
   The Lady Cats are currently 11-11 on the season and sit at 5-3 in region play. After playing a make-up game at St. Michaels on Tuesday, they will prepare for the regional tournament, which begins on Friday, Feb. 5, at Williams.