HOISINGTON — The Ellsworth girls’ basketball team competed in the Hoisington Tournament Jan. 20-25. The team walked away from the competition with two wins and one loss.

The tournament started Jan. 21 with a successful game against the Hoisington Cardinals. The Bearcats finished with a 35-29 victory.

The first quarter started on an extremely strong note. The Cats outpaced the Cardinals in the beginning, and secured a minor lead, with the first quarter ending 13-9.

The second quarter wasn’t as auspicious, as both teams took a few major steps back. The second quarter ended 17-13, with both teams only making two baskets each.

The Bearcats continued off of their performance from the quarter before, and only put 4 points on the board again, ending the third quarter 21-19.

The Cats peaked in the fourth quarter. They once again put some numbers on the board and distanced themselves from their opponents. The 35-29 win was a strong start to the tournament.

The tournament continued Jan. 24 as the Cats played the Minneapolis Lions. Again, the game started on an extremely productive note. The Bearcats had an amazing first quarter, and catapulted themselves into an early lead. It seemed like this solid start would be a sign of great things to come. The first quarter ended 16-11, Ellsworth.

In the second quarter, the Cats lost a little steam. The Lions started creeping up on them little by little. The Cats only lost 1 point of ground, but it turned out to be the starting point of disaster. The second quarter ended 25-21, Bearcats.

The third quarter was the true turning point. The Bearcats continued to lose momentum. The Lions, on the other hand, had an extremely strong showing. The third quarter ended 33-32, with the Lions finally gaining the lead.

The fourth quarter didn’t see much in the way of a dramatic reversal. The Cats performed slightly better, but by that time, it was already too late. The Lions came out with a 3-point lead, 45-42.

The final game was a win gainst the Pratt Greenbacks, 36-23 on Jan. 25.

The first quarter was extremely one-sided in the Cats’ favor. The first quarter ended 15-6, with a comfortable lead for the Cats.

That was the only time in the entire game either team scored double digits in a quarter.

In the second quarter, both teams scored the same lackluster amount of points. The second quarter ended 20-11, with the Cats still riding high.

The third quarter didn’t make things any better for the Greenbacks. The third quarter ended 28-17.

In the fourth quarter, both teams scored the exact same amount of points as they did in the third quarter. This arrangement worked in the Cats’ favor, and they walked out with a solid lead.

Their season record is 7-4. The Cats face off against the Southeast of Saline Trojans Jan. 31 on the road.