GYPSUM — The Ellsworth girls’ basketball team played the Southeast of Saline Trojans Friday, Jan. 31, at Gypsum, and won 49-39.

The game got off to an excellent start, with the Bearcats almost immediately seizing control. The Trojans also worked to put some numbers on the board, but ultimately fell behind. The first quarter ended 17-10, with the Cats earning quite a lead.

This trend continued into the second quarter, even as the Cats lost some steam. The Trojans started to close in on them a little, but ultimately still fell short. The second quarter ended 30-21.

The third quarter wasn’t the one to buck the trend either. Even after the break, both teams stayed squarely where they were at.

This arrangement was wonderful for the Cats, who really benefited from remaining on top. The third quarter ended 41-30.

There wasn’t any upset in the fourth quarter. The Trojans actually ended up scoring more than the Cats in the quarter, but it was too little too late.

That 1-point difference didn’t help them much, and it sure didn’t hurt the Cats.

The lead scorer for the game was junior Johanna Lindsley.

The girls travel to Minneapolis Feb. 11, to compete against the Lions.

Jan. 28 v. Plainville The girls played against the Plainville Cardinals Tuesday, Jan.

28, at home, destroying the Cardinals 59-23.

The game started off on an extremely telling note. The Cats immediately took control of the game, and built an immense lead. They earned more than twice what someone would consider an adequate start. In just one quarter, the Bearcats essentially locked the Cardinals out of the game. The first quarter ended 20-9, Ellsworth.

The second quarter was much of the same, with the Bearcats showing no signs of slowing down. The Cardinals also kept a similar pace, which didn’t do much for them in the score department. The second quarter ended 38-16, with the Cats still squarely dominating the game.

Coming out of halftime, the Cardinals surely needed some kind of shot in the arm. Even if the Bearcats fell off hard and fast, they were going to need to put some points on the board if they wanted some kind of chance at victory. No one communicated anything like this to the Cardinals. They only managed to score 4 points in the third quarter. The Bearcats, on the other hand, stayed comfortably in double digits. The third quarter 53-20, with the Cardinals plummeting past the point of no return.

The tension for the game seemed to be completely gone for everyone involved, and neither the Cats nor the Trojans put forth much of a performance. This hardly mattered for the Bearcats, though. Their victory was frankly assured from the word go.

There wasn’t any upset to speak of, and the game ended the same way it began, with the Bearcats being squarely in the lead.

The lead scorer for the game was junior Lainey Peschka with 20 points.