Despite a huge effort from Payton Hoeme, the Liberty Middle School eighth grade girls lost to Dodge City Sacred Heart 23-19 yesterday afternoon at LMS.
Hoeme, a 6-1 post player, scored 17 of the Lady Greenbacks’ 19 points, plus grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked four shots.
But, the Sacred Heart Cougars got 11 points from Hannah Thomas, and six each from Ciera Lampe and Alexis Sanchez, and that was enough to get the win.
Thomas hit a pair of three-pointers in the third quarter that gave Sacred Heart the lead for the first time at 13-12 wwith 2:20 to go.
Sanchez’s basket with 1:19 left in the third made it 15-12 Cougars, as the Lady Greenbacks were playing without Hoeme due to a bit of foul trouble.
Perhaps the biggest problem in that third quarter was Liberty’s inability to break the Cougars’ press. LMS had ten turnovers in the quarter and put up just four shots, hitting two of them.
Meanwhile, the Cougars hit three of 12 field goals and had just four turnovers.
LMS tried to rally in the fourth quarter, but two baskets and three free throws from Hoeme was all the scoring the Lady Greenbacks could manage.
Her putback with 1:16 left made it 22-17, and after Thomas hit a free throw, Hoeme scored on another putback with 45 seconds left, pulling Liberty within four at 23-19.
Martha Ramos came up with a steal, but Hoeme missed a shot and Gentry Schneweis grabbed the rebound with 20 seconds left, effectively ending the game.
Hoeme dominated the low post, scoring 17 points to go with 15 rebounds and four blocks.
Ramos scored the other two points, plus came up with five steals in the contest.
Andi Gripe also had three steals, while Alexus Bishop, Connor Reh and Whitney Tilley each passed out an assist.
LMS hit just eight of 32 shots and three of six free throws in the game.
The Cougars connected on eight of 36 field goals, including two of nine three-point attempts. They were five of 15 from the free throw line.
The Lady Greenbacks outrebounded Sacred Heart 32-24, but could not overcome their 33 turnovers. Sacred Heart had 24 turnovers in the contest.
Liberty will be back in action Thursday at Larned. Games will begin at 3:45 p.m.

Dodge City Sacred Heart 23, Liberty 19
DCSH: Hannah Thomas 2 (2) 1-2 11, Ciera Lampe 1 4-6 6, Alexis Sanchez 3 0-3 6, Jenny Delzeit 0 0-0 0, Lauren Oldham 0 0-4 0, Sara Robinson 0 0-0 0, Gentry Schneweis 0 0-0 0, Rebekah Shirley 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 8 5-15 23.
LMS: Payton Hoeme 7 3-4 17, Martha Ramos 1 0-2 2, Ashley Austin 0 0-0 0, Alexus Bishop 0 0-0 0, Stormy Flemming 0 0-0 0, Andi Gripe 0 0-0 0, Hayden Pixler 0 0-0 0, Connor Reh 0 0-0 0, Whitney Tilley 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 8 3-6 19.
DCSH    4    3    8    8 — 23
LMS    6    2    4    7 — 19