By Kohlton Kober
Index Sports Writer
The West Liberty girls’ basketball team dropped both of their matchups last week, suffering a slanted road loss to Monticello, 58-33, before falling to Tipton in a close ball game, 53-52.
On Friday, the Comets started strong against the Tigers, outpacing them in the first quarter taking a 20-10 lead after one.
The Comets maintained a comfortable lead heading into the half as they lead 32-28 before the offense stalled in the third quarter scoring just six. The Tigers rallied back with 15 in the period to take the lead.
The final quarter of play saw the teams trading punches again as the Comets nursed a slim margin heading into the home stretch.
A few key misses and a later Tiger basket following an inbound pushed Tipton over the top as the Comets’ final effort to steal the win came up short.
On Tuesday (Dec. 10), the Comets headed to Monticello. The Panthers controlled the game from the opening tip, outscoring the Comets by 13 in the first quarter, eventually leading to a 21 point halftime margin.
The Panthers managed the rest of the contest, going on to stifle the Comet offense enroute to a 23 points loss.
The Comets will end the 2024 leg of the season on Friday against West Branch before moving onto the holiday break.
The West Liberty boys’ basketball team faced a tough week as well, dropping both games on their schedule.
They suffered a decisive 59-45 road loss to Monticello on Tuesday, followed by a nail-biting 60-56 defeat to Tipton on Friday.
Friday’s matchup against the Tigers started slowly for the Comets. Struggling to find the bottom of the net early, the Comets would trail 16-10 after the opening quarter.
However, the momentum shifted ahead of the break as the Comets scored 12 to the Tigers’ six to tie it up before halftime.
The Comets finally mustered the baskets to grab the lead by the end of the third quarter, clinging to a one-point margin.
In a back-and-forth fourth quarter, the Comets held a narrow edge late, but a few critical misses and some pivotal free throws from the Tigers sealed the game, leaving West Liberty just shy of a victory.
Earlier in the week, the Comets traveled to Monticello. The game started off slow as both teams kept the game within striking distance. The Comets headed to the intermission down by five.
The wheels fell off in the third quarter, as the Panthers scored 20 to the Comets’ eight to capture complete control of the contest.
A 15-point showing for the Comets did little but cut into the final margin of victory as the Panthers cruised to aa 59-45 victory
West Liberty will look to close out 2024 on a positive note as they face West Branch on Friday before heading into the holiday break.