Lady Bucs look to snap streak

By Chris Johnson

REPORTER

The Belvidere Lady Bucs are 1-4 over the past two weeks of games and have got to find a way to get things right soon.

Since a Tuesday, Jan. 17 win over the Jefferson Lady J-Hawks 41-35, Belvidere has dropped back-to-back-to-back games within the NIC-10. They entered this week of play carrying a 3-10 NIC-10 mark.

During the recent difficult streak, Belvidere lost to a very strong Hononegah on Thursday, Jan. 26, 58-27.

Prior to the loss to the Lady Indians, the Lady Bucs faced two opponents carrying a worse record than their own. Freeport is 4-17 after its win over the Lady Bucs. Rockford Auburn improved to 4-18.

Hononegah lost the opening period to Belvidere when they met in NIC-10 play.  They were able to accomplish the goal because they were able to control the Hononegah attack. The Lady Bucs kept Jordan King and Cali Schmitz in from taking control of the game in the first period. Combined, the two Indians’ shooters scored three points in the period. Belvidere scored 12 points and three players were involved in the early push.

Things slowed down in the second period for Belvidere. The Lady Bucs defense bent a little more as the Lady Indians began to get a few more looks inside. Hononegah outpaced Belvidere in the second at a three-to-one clip, winning the frame 12-4. At the break, Hononegah had claimed the lead, 23-16.

It didn’t get any better for Belvidere after the halftime break. King got her looks and scored 15 points in the period for Hononegah as her Lady Indians began focusing on other facets of the game, including the rotation of reserve players. Belvidere slipped back by 20-points, 45-25 before the fourth quarter opened.

In the fourth period, Hononegah showed why they were a conference-contender. Belvidere was held to one shot from the field and scored two points. The Lady Indians added 13 additionally and moved on to claim the night 58-27.

The Lady Bucs were thrown back into the fire on Tuesday, Jan. 31 as they played at home for the final time during the regular season. Details of the contest with East will be available in one of next week’s editions of the Belvidere Daily Republican.

The road greets Belvidere to close the season, and it will feature a series of three games over the final six days.

On Friday, Feb. 3, Belvidere plays at Harlem.

On Tuesday, Feb. 7 they head to Freeport, and the Lady Bucs will welcome the post-season following a Thursday, Feb. 9 showdown at Guilford.

The Lady Bucs will enter the Class 3A State Basketball Tournament the week of Monday, Feb. 13.

In the first full week of February, the IHSA Selection Committee will issue seeds to help determine which teams will play where, when the first round games tip-off.

Belvidere more than likely will play at Rockford Lutheran to start the State Tournament. They could be joined by teams from Freeport, Genoa-Kingston, Marengo, Harvard, and possibly Stillman Valley. That information won’t be known until after the seeding meeting.

If, for some reason, Belvidere does not open at Rockford Lutheran, they will travel to Sterling High School to compete in the State of Illinois Girls’ Basketball Regional.