Loss to Limon puts Holyoke in consolation bracket at state tourney

    When No. 4 Holyoke met No. 5 Limon under the bright lights of the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland, they knew they had their work cut out for them at the 2018 Colorado 2A state basketball tournament.
    In a very physically demanding game Thursday, March 8, Limon beat the Lady Dragons 39-30, pushing Holyoke to the consolation bracket of the three-day tourney.
    “You gotta come ready to play for three days,” said coach John Baumgartner.
    The first quarter was brutal for the Lady Dragons. Managing only a few points on the scoreboard, Holyoke trailed 5-15 at the end of the period.
    Holyoke was behind 7-20 with only a couple minutes left in the second quarter, but they rallied to make the score 12-20 before halftime. HHS outscored Limon 7-5 in that period with the help of a 3-pointer from Grace Dille.
    Going into the second half down by eight points, Holyoke got within four points of the lead. They outscored the Badgers 7-6 for a 19-26 deficit going into the final period.
    Early in the fourth quarter, Dille fouled out of the game, a testament to how physical the matchup had become.
    Limon’s 13 points in the fourth topped Holyoke’s 11 to secure a nine-point win for the Badgers.
    Baumgartner said the Holyoke girls simply didn’t play well offensively. “We got down early, and we just couldn’t get over that hump.”

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