Lady Knights basketball season comes to a close after early exit in districts

The NEVC Lady Knights finished up their girls basketball season with a 11-13 record for the 202-23 season, after a tough loss to the Montrose Lady Jays with a final score of 50-32. The Lady Knights only made it to the first round in the Class 1 District 7 Tournament.

“The only thing I think happened in the final game was nerves and exhaustion,” stated Head Coach Becky Vantellman. “With six girls for an entire season, your body starts to wear down. I think they gave all they had, but it just didn’t end up being enough.”

Even with a losing record of 11-13, the Lady Knights learned throughout the year - only getting better each game. Vantellman continued by saying, “This year, I learned that there are many factors that influence gameplay by your team; School, friends, and home life. These are all big factors that can take a toll, good or bad, on a player’s attitude. You have to know how to deal with that as a coach. I also learned that coaching, albeit difficult at times, is one of the most rewarding jobs there is.”

Vantellman also talks about the six players for her team. “These girls played with grit and determination each game, win or lose. We even had some losses that I think were some of our better games, like our losses against Drexel and Jasper. The girls never gave up, even while down, and that will be a great aspect to continue to have while the girls continue their basketball careers at NEVC.”

With the season over, the Nevada Daily Mail asked Vantellman whether she would return or not. While ‘questionable’ with a baby expected in July, she said that minimal changes would happen if she returned as Head Coach. “If I do come back, there are minimal changes I would make. Hopefully we have more girls than 6!”

But all in all, everyone wearing the black and gray colors for NEVC on the court seemed to have fun this year. Vantellman stated, “There were plenty of laughs and good memories being made. When your whole team cries after the last game, even the ones who still have plenty of time left to play basketball at NEVC, you know they had a good time during the season.”