The Sabetha Lady Jays wrapped up their season on Friday, Feb. 27, at the Roundhouse Arena, facing a strong Hiawatha Red Hawks squad in the opening round of sub-state play.

Hiawatha came out with early energy and pressure, forcing turnovers and limiting Sabetha’s offensive rhythm in the first quarter. The Lady Jays continued to battle, looking for quality shots against a tough Red Hawk defense. Sabetha broke through in the second quarter when junior Macey Drahota grabbed an offensive rebound and kicked it out to junior Sophia Haverkamp, who knocked down a corner three to get the Lady Jays on the scoreboard.

Hiawatha maintained control throughout the first half, using a balanced inside-outside attack to build a halftime lead. Sabetha continued to find bright moments, including a nice assist from senior Chloe Detweiler to junior Sidney Schubarth on a back-door cut for an and-one finish. Junior Paxton Michael also connected from deep, and sophomore RaeLynn Lanter fed Schubarth on a high-low look for another bucket.

Schubarth, a first-year Lady Jay, put together a strong third quarter, doing a little bit of everything. She scored at all three levels, grabbed rebounds, protected the rim with back-to-back blocks, and dished out an assist to Lanter for a score inside.

The highlight of the night came when junior Paxton Michael buried her second three-pointer of the game, setting a new Sabetha single-season record with her 52nd made three. The shot surpassed the previous record held by Kelsey (Beckner) Bruggeman, who was in attendance to help pass the torch.

“Very happy for Paxton and the work she put in during the offseason to make this goal a reality,” said Head Coach Rachelle Wertenberger.

“That accomplishment means a lot to me,” Michael said. “Hearing last year, I was only five away made me even more determined. I couldn’t have done it without God, my teammates, coaches and my family supporting me.”

The fourth quarter also featured a deep three from senior Keim, who capped off an impressive season with more than 30 made triples of her own. Schubarth led Sabetha in the box score with 10 points and four rebounds.

The Lady Jays’ season came to a close with a 61-29 loss, but the growth and resilience of the team stood out to the end.

“I’m most proud of the girls’ attitude and work ethic,” Wertenberger said. “It would have been easy to pack it in, but they never did. They showed up and worked hard every day.”

She also credited the seniors for setting the tone.

“Culture is built on attitude and effort,” Wertenberger said. “This group faced adversity head-on and showed they are strong, resilient young women.”

While the season ended on the road, the foundation laid by this group leaves the Lady Jays with plenty of optimism heading into next year.