Last Monday, Fatima opened the hoops season with a 63-40 win over Osage as the Lady Comets shot 48% from the field and controlled almost every stat.

“The first half went really well,” said Coach Matt Baker, whose team led 24-6 after the first quarter and 43-12 at the break. “Our pressure forced a number of turnovers, and we were able to convert those turnovers into easy points. I was also very happy with our focus and execution of our half-court offense against their zone. We moved the ball and found the open looks and finished plays extremely well.”

Kristen Robertson hit her first three shots from behind the arc to help Fatima build its halftime advantage. She finished 3-4 from long range and 2-2 at the line for 15.

Vivian Bax led with 16   (trey) and complemented Robertson’s effort. “Vivian and Kris provided a solid 1-2 punch offensively and handled the ball extremely well,” Baker said.

The second half was more of a struggle as Fatima pulled out of its press and played a lot of younger kids. “As a result, the flow of the game got wonky, and we didn’t have the same level of focus as we did to start the game,” said Baker.

Madelyn Backes added 13, Adalyn Berhorst added six, Elise Dickneite had four, Natalie Wilbers, Alex Berhorst, Anne Boyce, and Payton Wieberg finished with two apiece, and Anna Struemph had one.

“I was really pleased with our senior core,” said Baker. “Payton and Backes controlled the paint, finished well around the rim, and were super solid.”

In the assists column, Bax posted a team-high six, followed by Robertson and Wilbers (2 each) and Dickneite, Alex Berhorst, Boyce, and Backes (1 apiece).

Bax led with seven rebounds, followed by Wieberg and Robertson (4 each), Backes and Anna Struemph (3 apiece), Wilbers and Boyce  (2 each), and Dickneite and Alex Berhorst (1 apiece).

Defensively, Bax had the team’s only block and had four steals. Robertson pilfered five to pace the team as Wilbers, Boyce, Backes, Wieberg, and Adalyn Berhorst each had two, and Alex Berhorst and Brie Massman posted one apiece.

“All in all, it was a decent start,” said Baker. “We will try to get our young kids as many minutes as we can going forward so they get more comfortable at the varsity level.”

Fatima won the JV game, 41-26.

“We started off the season with a nice win at home,” said Coach John Fick. “It was a more impressive win than what the score might indicate. Usually, we can be too anxious, too eager, and just sped up in the first couple of games to start the season, but to my surprise, the girls played with great poise. They moved the ball well, made great passes, and were unselfish with one another. It was a very clean game by all the girls, which is hard to ask when we have 15 girls playing.”

Addison Bower led with 11, followed by Anna Struemph (5), followed by Lauren Stuecken, Lexie Bassett, and Kacey Brune (4 each), Holly Bliss, Jane Boyce and Melissa Verslues (3 apiece), and Casey Kleffner, and Maci Wilbers (2 each).