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SMITHVILLE — The Smithville girls varsity basketball team wrapped up a competitive run in the Schulenburg Tournament last weekend, finishing with a 3-3 record and improving to 8-6 on the season.
After a pair of close losses to Columbus, 53-49, and East Bernard, 45-43, Smithville bounced back with dominant wins over Rice Consolidated, 49-13, and St. Paul, 51-37. The Tigers split their final two games, falling to Edna 62-51 but edging out Industrial 40-39.
The Lady Tigers played six games in two days, testing their endurance and resilience. Head Coach Jaimie Kadlecek reflected on the challenges and lessons learned from the tough tournament schedule.
“You get to see your grit and who is ready to step up and knock stuff down or who can make it through a tough day when everyone is exhausted and worn out,” she said. “But it is nice to see us work through that.”
Though they finished with an even record, Smithville proved competitive against formidable opponents, with their losses coming to teams boasting a combined 30-10 record. Kadlecek added that facing tough competition is key to her team’s growth.
“We had some great things happen and some things that we are working on. We showed some growth, and we like playing that level of competition to make us better,” the head coach said. “I’m not about playing easy teams because that does nothing for us.”
Junior guard Sydnie Brenner and senior Arabella Gutierrez have been standout performers for the Tigers this season, according to Kadlecek.
Smithville will return to action Wednesday, Dec. 11, against Aussie at 6:30 p.m. before competing in the Flatonia Tournament Dec. 12-14.
