CANTON/GALVA LADY EAGLE BASKETBALL

LADY EAGLES CLOSE SEASON WITH LOSS, ESPINOZA REACHES 1,000 POINTS

By Staff

            CANTON – The 2024/25 season for the Canton/Galva girls came to an end on Saturday as the Lady Eagles made a strong comeback attempt but fell short and lost 41-47 to Rosalia/Flint Hills in sub-state semi-finals.

            With the loss, the Lady Eagle close  out the season at 11-10 while Rosalia/Flint Hills, now 14-5 and the second-seed of the sub-state,  will play sixth seed Colony Crest in the sub-state championship game for the trip to the state tournament.

            “We did not play our best in the first half as we had too many turnovers and did not shoot very well,” pointed out Canton/Galva head coach David Ediger. “However, we were only down a pair of points at the halftime break.”

            After trailing by three, 5-8, at the end of the first quarter, the Lady Eagles stayed within two points, 15-17, entering the halftime break. Despite taking an early third quarter lead of five, the Lady Eagles fell behind by eight,  24-32, after three quarters, before trying to make a comeback but fell short in the six-point, 47-47, loss.

            “We got up by five and the third quarter and started to play better before a few defensive breakdowns and missed opportunities to totally rebound eventually cost us,” explained coach Ediger. “You can not have those things happen this late in the season and expect to win and move on. The loss really stings because we could have played on our floor with a chance to go to state playing the number six seed after the second seed was beaten.”

            Junior Trinity Espinoza scored her 1,000-career point in the game as she had a team high 17 points.

            Speaking of his team, coach Ediger continued by saying, “Overall, we had a great year. Trinity (Espinoza) scored her 1,000 point in the game and I was proud of her getting that accomplishment. She works really hard and is such an outstanding young lady, so she deserved it. We are sad the season ended the way it did, but his group got better as the season went along and laid the groundwork for a very successful season next year. We will return seven of our eight players (Rae Hawkinson is the lone senior on the team) and should pick up several incoming freshman as well as a few that did not go out this season next winter. This will make a stronger team next year.”

            While concluding his post-game, post-season reflections, coach Ediger added, “You know we finished third in the league so that was good, especially the way the season began. I was really proud of our effort overall as we did not quit and kept fighting. We just needed to put that fight together with a little better game basketball wise and we would have been moving on.”

LADY EAGLES vs. Rosalia/Flint Hills, Saturday, March 1, at Sub-State

SCORING = Lady Eagles lost 41-47

Lady Eagles = 5-10-9-17 = 41; Rosalia/Flint Hills = 8-9-15-15 = 47.

LADY EAGLES INDIVIDUAL SCORING (41) = Trinity Espinoza – 17; Malia Hoppes – 8; Emerson Hoppes, Rae Hawkinson – 7; Faith McMannis – 2. 3-Pointers Made (4) = Mal. Hoppes – 2; Espinoza, Hawkinson – 1.