LINGLE – The Lingle-Fort Laramie (LFL) Lady Doggers overwhelmed the Niobrara County High School (NCHS) Lady Tigers with a 58-26 conference victory on February 2 before defeating Crawford, Nebraska, 51-35, at home on Saturday.

The Lady Doggers’ victory against NCHS maintained LFL’s spot at the top of the 2A Southeast Quadrant with an undefeated, 4-0, conference record – a strong position for the team as regionals approach in three weeks.

“The LFL girls had another successful weekend,” head coach Susan Bartel said. “Our game against Lusk on Friday went well with the whole team working together. The game against Crawford was similar with the team playing well together. Towards the end of the game, Crawford hit a few threes to bring the score much closer. I’m excited to see what this team does in the next couple of weeks.”

NCHS

LFL soundly won the first quarter, 14-4. Sophomore Jordynn Speckner snatched a steal on NCHS’s first possession. The Lady Tigers briefly tied the game at 4 points before LFL launched a 10-point run, including shots by Jordynn Speckner, senior Natalie Speckner, junior Brenly Shipp and sophomore Skyla Wunder.

A determined LFL offense netted 20 points in the second quarter while a scrappy Lady Dogger defense held NCHS to eight.

Wunder tossed in a pair of outside shots. Sophomore Avary Rising rustled a steal, setting Wunder up to net a close-range shot and place LFL ahead, 29-8.

Freshman Madison Hatch grabbed a steal and Natalie Speckner went on a 5-point run, widening LFL’s lead to 34-12 at halftime.

LFL outscored NCHS, 12-8, in the third quarter. Natalie Speckner led the Lady Dogger’s offense with seven points. 

Wunder picked up a steal and went on to score a buzzer-beating 3-pointer and LFL led, 46-20, as the fourth quarter began.

LFL’s second string stepped onto the court in the final eight minutes of regulation, with freshman Charlotte Speckner rounding out scoring by converting an and-1.

Natalie Speckner posted 23 points against NCHS with Jordynn Speckner and Wunder each contributing 15. Natalie Speckner and Wunder both went double-double with 12 and 10 rebounds, respectively. Shipp made 10 rebounds.

Crawford

The LFL offense controlled the scoreboard throughout the first quarter, tallying 24 points while the Lady Dogger defense closed ranks and held Crawford to three points.

Natalie Speckner tallied nine points in the first eight minutes of regulation, with six other Lady Doggers sharing the point spread – Shipp, Jordynn Speckner, Wunder, Rising, senior Holly Leiseth and freshman Afton Schilreff.

The halftime score favored LFL, 32-6.

LFL’s second string played in the second half with shots by Schilreff, Rising and Charlotte Speckner.

Natalie Speckner led the Lady Doggers in scoring against Crawford with 11 points while Jordynn Speckner and Wunder each added 10 points.

Shipp made eight rebounds and Wunder picked up eight steals.