Langkrahr's return sparks Lady Orioles to crown

(Courtesy Martin Barrett, Lexington-News) The Concordia Lady Orioles won the Wellington Tournament, beating the host Lady Tigers, 45-43, Saturday. Members of the Lady Orioles (from left) are: front, Taylor Bittiker, Kamaran Dozler, Halli Brackman; back, head coach Bill Hughes, Staci Schlueter, Cassidy Brockman, Katlin Murray, Miranda Heineken, Britlin Murray, Dakota Miller, Kayla Brackman, Hailee Langkrahr, assistant coach Tara Merrick.

This time, the Lady Orioles were spurred on by the return of Langkrahr to build a lead and hold off Wellington, 45-43, to claim the Wellington Tournament crown Saturday.

"We think we are moving in the right direction at least," Concordia head coach Bill Hughes said. "The kids are playing with confidence and that is the first step."

It was anything but easy down the stretch, the Lady Orioles failing to put away the game from the free-throw line.

"We have been shooting free throws extremely well," Hughes said. "It's just something we have to continue to work on and get better at. It's personal, they know that and will take it upon themselves to improve on it."

The Lady Orioles led 38-33 halfway through the fourth quarter, and 40-35 with three minutes to play.

Mikayla Lohsandt nailed two free throws, and Katie Kropp followed with an old-fashioned three-point play to knot the game 40-40.

Staci Schlueter drove to hit a basket for the Lady Orioles, and Wellington's Mikayla Seitz was one for two from the line.

Concordia's Katlin Murray misfired on two free throws shortly thereafter.

Lohsandt grabbed the defensive rebound for the Lady Tigers. But instead of turning and looking for an outlet pass, the freshman put up a shot and in the basket for Concordia.

Lohsandt's basket provided enough of an advantage for Concordia, the Lady Tigers couldn't surpass.

Seitz scored under tha basket for the Lady Tigers, and Kama-ran Dozler missed the front end of a one-and-one with 15 seconds remaining, giving Welling-ton a chance.

But the Lady Tigers suffered a turnover, Katlin Murray hitting one of two free throws to give Concordia a 45-43 lead with 10 seconds to go.

A mad scramble for a loose ball ate off almost all of the clock in the front court. But the jump ball remained with Wellington, two seconds left in regulation.

After a Concordia timeout, the Lady Tigers got the ball to Lohsandt. One dribble later, her shot was off-line as the final buzzer sounded.

"We had several chances at the end of the game to put ourselves in position to win," Wel-lington head coach Andy Hampton said. "We just couldn't convert."

This was the second tournament title for the Lady Orioles this season, having beaten Lone Jack 39-35 to claim the I-70 Conference crown in December.

The Lady Orioles had fallen behind 10-4 early in the first quarter. But three-point baskets by Halli Brackman and Miranda Heineken helped Concordia surge to a 13-12 lead after one.

The Lady Orioles built as much as a four-point lead in the second quarter on a three-pointer by Halli Brackman, 22-18, and a drive and basket by Schlueter, 24-20.

Concordia led 26-23 at the break.

Kropp scored five points, and the Lady Tigers rebounded to tie the game, 29-29 late in the third quarter.

Langkrahr returned to the lineup with a 12-point performance.

"She is a very good basketball player. She is very strong and gives us a presence on the court," Hughes said of Lang-krahr, who had surgery to re-move some knee cartilage and had missed six games before Christmas, returning for this tournament. The championship game is the first in which she scored since getting back.

Halli Brackman drained three threes and led the team with 13 points.

Kropp paced all scorers with 19 points for Wellington. Loh-sandt and Seitz each scored eight.

(2) Concordia 50,

(5) Hardin-Central 30

The Lady Orioles punched their ticket to the championship with a 20-point victory over Har-din-Central last Wednesday.

Dozler and Halli Brackman hit three-point shots, and the La-dy Orioles opened a 10-6 lead after one quarter.

Even in a sluggish second quarter, Concordia increased its lead to five points, 17-12.

The Lady Orioles unleashed an offensive spree in the third quarter, including three-pointers and five points each from Kayla Brackman and Schlueter and four points from Katlin Murray in a 16-9 run that gave them a 33-21 advantage going to the fourth quarter.

The offensive explosion didn't slow down in the final stanza, the Lady Orioles getting a three-pointer and seven points from Britlin Murray among a 17-9 run.

Halli Brackman paced the Lady Orioles with 10 points. Katlin Murray and Britlin Mur-ray split 18 points and Kayla Brackman and Schlueter divided 16 points. The Lady Orioles were hot from the outside, accumulating seven three-pointers.

(2) Concordia 37,

(3) Orrick 34

The Lady Orioles were in a down-to-the-wire struggle with I-70 Conference rival Orrick that wasn't settled until Concordia went on a late run to seal a three-point win.

Madison Winters hit a three-pointer and scored six points, leading the Lady Bearcats to a 12-10 first-quarter advantage.

Neither team did much in the second quarter, the Lady Bear-cats holding an 18-13 lead at halftime.

Halli Brackman nailed two three-pointers and scored eight points, and Dozler added a three-pointer and six points in a 14-6 third-quarter run for the Lady Orioles.

Concordia, which hit five of eight free-throw chances in the fourth quarter, was led by Halli Brackman with nine points. Dozler and Schlueter each added eight points.

Sam Fulte scored 11 points and Winters and Miranda Williams seven apiece for the Lady Bearcats.

"We have to eliminate the little errors that, by themselves, don't seem like a big deal. But when (they're) added up over 32 (minutes), make it hard to win close games," Orrick head coach Mitch Comstock said.