The Central Paws Shootout is an annual basketball shootout hosted by Breese-Central High School for competitive teams from all over the state to compete. On January 7th, our 3rd-ranked 1A Okawville Lady Rockets matched up against 1st-ranked 2A Quincy Notre Dame. QND is a highly competitive team who have beaten and competed with the other top-ranked 1A teams in the state. This was a huge game for the Lady Rockets to help prepare for the postseason. 

The game was intense from the start with both teams trading baskets in the first half, leaving the halftime score 36-32, QND in the lead. Opening the second half, Quincy Notre Dame had a great start by gaining a 12-point lead in the first 2 minutes but that didn’t stop the Lady Rockets. Alayna Kraus and Briley Rhodes each made key shots to get the Lady Rockets back in the game. Leading up to the end of the 4th quarter the Lady Rockets were within 3 points to grab the win, but with missed opportunities from the team, the deficit became 7 points and the Rockets could not bounce back. The Lady Rockets lost 61-54. 

Coach Bowers gave her insights on the game and how the Lady Rockets will proceed, “QND is a Top Ranked 2A team that I was excited to play against. Playing them taught us our weaknesses and gave us the opportunity to guard very talented players. There were many positives that came out of this game and we will use them to build on for the rest of the season.” The Lady Rockets’ record is now 16-3.

The game did allow Alayna Kraus, junior, to score her 1000th point in the 1st quarter. For any player, this is a huge accomplishment and something she has worked very hard to achieve. Congratulations, Alayna, and good luck to the Lady Rockets as they continue their season!