The South Loup Lady Bobcats turned a corner last week, splitting a pair of games and finally notching their first win of the season — a much-deserved reward for a team that’s been grinding all winter.

South Loup opened the week on the road with a 53–35 loss to the Anselmo-Merna Coyotes on Tuesday, Feb. 10 in Merna. Despite the defeat, the Lady Bobcats showed flashes of progress, especially on the defensive end.

South Loup were slow shooting to start, trailing by 2612 in the first half before finding a rhythm in the second and chalking up 23 points to the Coyotes’ 27.

The warm-up came too late, though, and the Bobcats just couldn’t overcome the deficit.

Emma Stallbaumer controlled the game on the offensive side, racking up 13 points in the effort, including 3-of-4 from the foul line. The remaining points were split fairly evenly across the rest of the team, with Tyra Brestel, Kamryn Kramer, Jade Bierman, Asa Starr and Gracie Brennan all pitching in 4 apiece. Addi Stump added one bucket to round out the Bobcat scoring.

The Lady Bobcats didn’t stay down for long. Back home on Friday, Feb.

13, they came out with renewed energy and focus to defeat Hi-Line Bulls 53–43 — snapping their season-opening skid and earning their first win of the year.

South Loup’s offense clicked early, jumping out to a 15–10 lead after one quarter and maintaining control throughout. The Lady Bobcats kept their composure even as Hi-Line tried to close the gap in the second half, answering each run with clutch shooting and steady defense.

Starr got the ball rolling early in the first quarter, putting up two field goals and a three-pointer to heat things up. She kept that momentum up throughout the game, ending with 13 points overall in the victory.

Stallbaumer was again a valuable asset, pitching in 11 points, and Hagler tallied 9.

The 10-point victory brought a wave of excitement for the home crowd — and a sense of validation for a team that’s refused to give in.

“The girls have worked extremely hard this year, and Friday night our fans were finally able to see what the girls can truly do,” Head Coach Ali Goodenow said after the win. “Defense was never really an issue for the girls this year, we just struggled offensively getting points on the board.”

The victory improved South Loup’s record to 1–17, and with subdistricts this week, the Lady Bobcats hoped to build on their breakthrough and carry that momentum into the final stretch of the season.

“We are excited for Overton tomorrow,” Coach Goodenow said on Monday. “It’s a new season once you enter subdistricts, and records don’t matter. Every team is beatable and we look forward to playing after coming from the high of our win Friday.”

The Lady Bobcats faced the Overton Eagles on Tuesday, Feb.

17 in the first round of subdistrict action, with results not available by press time.

The winner of that contest will advance to the finals today, Feb. 19, scheduled to be hosted by Overton. The tip-off time for that game is 6 p.m. The subdistrict winner will advance to district play.