By Jayden Mies
Freelance reporter
Special to the Tribune

The Pratt High School girls’ basketball team has been progressing through the end of the regular season, and they have been fighting to maximize their seed for sub-state. Recently, they had CKL matchups against Hesston, Haven, and Smoky Valley that showed them what improvements they need to make before the postseason begins.

First, the Lady Greenbacks faced off against the Hesston Swathers on Tuesday, February 11 in the Pratt High School Gymnasium. Pratt knew that this was going to be a tough game, as the Swathers currently hold one of the top spots in the 3A class and are at the top of the CKL rankings.

This game did prove to be tough for Pratt as they struggled to create momentum in a 28-53 loss. Hesston jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter, and they were able to hold the

Lady Greenbacks’ field percentage and three point percentage to just 35% and 25% respectively. However, Pratt shot 80% from the free throw line, meaning that they maximized their scoring after getting fouled.

Both teams tied each other in rebounds, claiming 23 apiece. However, one of the biggest factors in Pratt’s low score was their number of turnovers. For example, Hesston collected 18 total steals against the Lady Greenbacks, which heavily limited their scoring opportunities. Protecting the ball has been one of the team’s biggest focuses this year, and they will look to refine it for the beginning of the playoffs.

The next contest came on that following Monday, February 17. This was their rematch against a tough Haven Wildcats team. Like the first one, this game proved to be a nailbiter to the end.

Haven initially gained a solid lead early on, but Pratt was able to stay close with the help of threes from Hope Hughes and Renee Hamm. This lead became especially narrow in the fourth quarter, when Pratt was able to make it a one-possession game. However, the Wildcats were able to keep the lead, and Pratt lost by a final score of 45-48.

Although they didn’t get the result they wanted, the Lady Greenbacks made several improvements in this game. They shared the ball well, tallying 10 total assists, and their tough defense produced 13 steals. They shot 38% from the field, 31% from three, and 61% from the free throw line.

Pratt most recently matched up against Smoky Valley, when they hosted the Vikings for senior night on Friday, February 21. This was Pratt’s second-to-last regular season game and their final home contest, so they wanted to end it on a high note.

They were able to do just that, as the Lady Greenbacks defeated the Vikings by a final score of 45-39. This was an off-night shooting-wise for both teams, as neither eclipsed a percentage higher than 30%. However, Pratt’s combined 43 rebounds, 5 steals, and 2 blocks allowed Smoky Valley’s chances at the rim to be limited, which ultimately gave Pratt the final edge.

With this, the girls will have one final regular season matchup. This will be on Tuesday, February 25, and the Lady Greenbacks will hope to add one last win to their record to improve their 4A sub-state tournament seeding.