Colby Girls Open Season with Steady Road Win at Ulysses, 40-26

ULYSSES — With a new-look roster and several first-time varsity starters, the Colby Lady Eagles opened their 2025–26 basketball season with a composed and convincing 40-26 road win Friday night at Ulysses. The victory came after a steady buildup through the first half, followed by a decisive third quarter in which Colby finally found consistent scoring and the defensive rhythm that head coach Yancey Walker had been waiting to see.

Colby led 18-11 at halftime and received the ball to open the third quarter, but the most meaningful stretch came a few minutes later. Despite early foul trouble to starters Sadie Cheney and Harper Vaughn, the Eagles tightened their rotations, protected possessions, and began generating easier looks.

Cheney hit a timely bucket inside, Emily Flanagin drilled a momentum-shifting three-pointer, and Vaughn went to work in the paint, collecting her own miss for a putback to reach her ninth point of the night. The run ballooned Colby’s lead to 27-15 with three minutes remaining in the third, and the Eagles pushed that margin to 16 by the end of the period.

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Even when the fourth quarter opened slowly—complete with a shot-clock violation, a few empty trips, and early whistles—Colby’s defense never loosened. Both teams struggled to score, managing only two points in the first 3:20 of the period. Senior Shaylee Holzmeister finally broke the scoring drought, and Colby calmly closed out the game by controlling tempo, securing rebounds, and preventing Ulysses from generating any meaningful late push. By the final horn, the Eagles’ third-quarter surge held firm.

Walker said the team’s growth showed most clearly on the defensive end. “We were able to get some separation from them in the 2nd half by forcing them into 15 turnovers in that half alone,” he said after the game.

He also pointed to rebounding as an early-season focus. “We gave up too many offensive rebounds, but some of the shots they took were slightly unorthodox, which led to rebounds going different directions. We need to do a better job of hitting on every shot, but that said, their offensive rebounds didn't quite tell the story.”

Offensively, Colby shared the ball effectively, recording 12 assists on its 16 field goals. But Walker still sees plenty of room for refinement. “We shared the ball well on offense, but left several points on the floor through missed layups and our own turnovers. As I have said from the start, we're not focused on outcomes, we're focused on getting better each day.”

Senior Kalyssa White, who chipped in five points and four rebounds, said the night carried special meaning. “It feels unreal starting my senior year of basketball,” White said. “It feels like just last year it was my freshman year as it’s been such a roller coaster for me the last three years, and with it being my last year it feels unreal.”

She added that the win was the perfect way to settle the nerves of a roster still finding its identity. “I feel like getting our first win is a great way to start off our season. It really helped get all the nerves out considering most of our starters are new to varsity and really showed how well we can work together and continue to progress throughout this upcoming season.”

Colby Scoring

Cheney 9, Vaughn 9, Flanagin 5, White 5, McCarty 5, Holzmeister 4, Tubbs 3.

Holzmeister led the rebounding effort with nine boards, while multiple Eagles contributed steals, paced by her five and Flanagin’s three.

The Lady Eagles next open competition at Goodlands Topside Tip-off on Thursday against Wichita County at 8pm in the Auxiliary Gym

by Derek White