Lady Bucs brace for NIC-10

By Chris Johnson

REPORTER

A good balance of junior and senior athletes makes up this year’s squad of Belvidere Lady Bucs. Many of the seniors now playing grew up in a system where the team around them in their final year of high school is made up of the same girls who played organized ball together at six.

It’s what this year’s pool of seniors will have to face, and it’s what this year’s junior members will hold, as they add to their list of memories from high school.

The winter games began for Belvidere on Monday, Nov. 14 as they faced the Genoa-Kingston Cogs in a non-conference match. The Big Northern representative came away with the 63-40 win.

On Thursday, Nov. 17 as Belvidere played in the Wauconda Turkey Tournament on night two, they faced their host: Wauconda. As far as making guests feel welcome, Wauconda failed. The Lady Bulldogs claimed the match 45-25. The hospitable nature ended after the first period of play. Belvidere had built the 5-3 edge. Wauconda outscored the Lady Bucs 9-3 in the second and held the four-point lead at the half, 12-8.

The match stayed close into the third period as Belvidere put 13 points on the board. They were outscored by their hosts 15-13 in the period and faced a growing deficit entering the fourth.

The free throws fell, and the open looks dropped through in the final period as Wauconda claimed the period 18-4 and took the night by 20.

On night three, the story ended similarly for Belvidere as they fell to Richmond-Burton 51-37.

The tournament play worked into the Thanksgiving holiday and Belvidere turned its attention back to the NIC-10 and a road game at Jefferson on Friday, Dec. 2.

The road swing turns towards Rockton on Tuesday, Dec. 6, and the Lady Indians again appear to be on a streak which could see them go a long way towards a NIC-10 Title.

Games against Harlem on Friday, Dec. 9 and Guilford on Tuesday, Dec. 13 will be played in Belvidere. Before Christmas arrives, the Lady Bucs will go back on the road, starting with a stopover in Freeport on Friday, Dec. 16. McHenry takes on Belvidere the following night and on Monday, Dec. 19 the pre-Christmas holiday schedule comes to a close.

NIC-10 action begins again on Jan. 6, as Rockford East visits Belvidere.

Belvidere North comes in for the annual rivalry game on Tuesday, Jan. 10 and a match with Rockford Boylan, on Friday, Jan. 13. wraps up the first two-thirds of the season for the Lady Bucs.