The girls’ basketball team opened the season with a dominating win over Burnsville but lost two consecutive follow-up games, first to Edina 37-53 and then to St. Paul Como Park 56-63.
At Edina
Against the Hornets, Hastings kept the score close for the low scoring first half trailing 14-21 at the intermission. Edina came out with renewed aggression for the second half taking it to the Raiders 32-23 for the half and 53-37 for the final.
In the game, Keagan McVicker and Haley Strain led in scoring each with 12. Strain had 14 rebounds, McVicker had seven and Rachel Notch had six. Brook Mace scored five points with two rebounds. Hastings had 34 turnovers and only 11 steals in the loss.
Home against St. Paul Como Park
The return home was needed for the Raiders to help boost the offensive production, unfortunately, St. Paul Como Park kept pace with Hastings, primarily two stars of the Cougars, Cecelia Davis who scored 28 and Ahmani Crump, who scored 16. The pair accounted for 44 of the 63 points Como scored. Makyia Kenney added 10.
For the Raiders, they went to the intermission down 23-30 and the adjustments were made at the break kept the second half scoring even at 33 apiece.
McVicker again led the Raiders in points with 17, Strain was right behind her with 15 and Kayleigh Giesen rounded out the top three with six points. Strain was a force to be reckoned with in the pain logging 17 rebounds, Giesen, Kate Ruder and Jillian McTague rounded out the top four rebounders with four each.
Up Next
The girls have four game days left, plus a two-day tournament in 2024, Dec. 11 home against St. Croix Prep at 6:30 p.m., Dec. 13 at Minneapolis Washburn, a 7:00 p.m. start, home against Mahtomedi on Dec. 17 and at Two Rivers on Dec. 20, both at 6:30. The girls will host the Hastings Holiday Tournament on Dec. 27 starting at 5:15 p.m. against Park of Cottage Grove.