Lady Eagles Rally Late, Fall Just Short in Home Opener Against Holcomb
December 16, 2025
The Colby Lady Eagles delivered a gritty, determined performance in their home opener Tuesday night at the Colby Event Center, battling back from a double-digit halftime deficit before falling just short to Holcomb, 41–39, on December 16.
Colby trailed 20–8 at the break after a difficult first half that saw the Eagles struggle to convert close-range opportunities and find rhythm offensively. Holcomb took advantage early, building a 9–3 lead after the first quarter and extending it to an eight-point margin by halftime. Despite the score, the Eagles remained engaged defensively and positioned themselves for a second-half response.
That response came quickly.
Colby outscored Holcomb 31–21 after halftime, using improved ball movement, sharper defensive pressure, and timely perimeter shooting to climb back into contention. The Eagles steadily chipped away in the third quarter, closing the gap to 29–22 entering the final period.
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The fourth quarter turned into a tense, back-and-forth battle. Colby’s defense forced stops and turnovers, while the offense found confidence from beyond the arc. With four minutes remaining, the Eagles pulled within three points at 31–34, igniting the home crowd and putting pressure squarely on the Longhorns.
Harper Vaughn led the charge, finishing with a game-high 16 points, including four three-pointers. Vaughn connected on key shots throughout the second half, including late triples that kept Colby within striking distance. Shaylee Holzmeister added nine points with two three-pointers, while Maddie McCarty contributed five points and several important defensive possessions.
Holcomb answered with a late three-pointer to push the lead back to five, but Colby continued to fight. In the closing seconds, the Eagles trimmed the margin to two points with 9.9 seconds remaining, giving themselves a final opportunity to force overtime or steal the win. Colby was unable to capitalize in the final possession, sealing the narrow defeat.
Head coach Yancey Walker pointed to missed opportunities early as a deciding factor in the outcome.
“We missed some inside shots early and we didn’t have the urgency we needed with our screening and cutting on the offensive end of the floor,” Walker said.
Despite the loss, Walker emphasized that the team’s response and effort were encouraging signs, especially in front of the home crowd.
“I feel like being at home is an advantage, but I also feel like they would have responded the same at Holcomb,” he said.
Walker said the biggest takeaway was the way the Eagles competed when fully locked in.
“What I hope we learned is that when we give our best effort in all aspects of the game, we are able to compete with whomever our opponent is,” he said. “As I have said many times before, we are growing right now. As long as we keep growing, we’ll be fine.”
The loss drops Colby to 2–3 on the season, but the second-half performance showed clear progress and resilience. With continued development and a growing confidence on both ends of the floor, the Lady Eagles demonstrated Tuesday night that they are capable of competing with quality opponents as the season moves forward.