Lady Eagles Battle but Fall on the Road at Garden City
January 27, 2026
The Colby High School Lady Eagles saw multiple comeback efforts come up short last Tuesday night as they dropped a 49–36 road decision to the Garden City High School.
Colby entered the contest at 6–6 on the season and faced a Garden City team that controlled the tempo early and used timely perimeter shooting to keep the Lady Eagles at arm’s length throughout the night.
The opening quarter was marked by early nerves and missed opportunities on both ends. Garden City struck first with a three-pointer to take a 3–0 lead, while Colby struggled to convert from the perimeter. Shaley Holsmeister helped stabilize the Lady Eagles by scoring inside and drawing fouls, but turnovers proved costly. Garden City capitalized with multiple second-chance opportunities and closed the first quarter on an 8–1 run to take a 16–8 advantage.
Colby responded in the second quarter with improved defensive pressure and better ball movement. Holzmeister continued to be effective in the paint, and Sadie Cheney added key baskets as the Lady Eagles trimmed the deficit to four points midway through the period. However, Garden City answered with another surge behind perimeter shooting and free throws, pushing the lead back to double digits. A deep three-pointer from Emily Flanagin at the halftime buzzer provided a spark for Colby and cut the deficit to 27–20 at the break.
The Lady Eagles carried that momentum into the third quarter. Holzmeister scored early to bring Colby within five, and Chaney added an and-one to briefly make it a six-point game. Each time Colby closed the gap, Garden City responded with timely three-point shooting, preventing the Lady Eagles from gaining sustained traction. Despite strong rebounding from Holzmeister and improved interior defense, Colby trailed 36–31 heading into the final period.
Early in the fourth quarter, Colby made its strongest push of the night. A steal led to a Holzmeister basket, cutting the margin to three points at 36–33. The Lady Eagles had opportunities to close the gap further, but Garden City once again answered from the outside. Two fourth-quarter three-pointers extended the Buffaloes’ lead back to nine and shifted momentum firmly back to the home team.
Colby continued to battle down the stretch, with Holzmeister scoring on multiple possessions and collecting offensive rebounds to create extra chances. However, Garden City converted from the free-throw line late and added a final basket in transition to seal the outcome. Colby ends up falling to Garden City 26-49.
Holzmeister led all scorers with 25 points and was the focal point of Colby’s offense throughout the game, also finishing with a double-digit rebounding effort. Flanagin added six points, including two three-pointers, while Fia Tubbs scored three and Cheney chipped in two.
Garden City improved to 8–5 on the season with the win, using balanced scoring and perimeter shooting to offset Colby’s interior advantage. The Lady Eagles will look to clean up turnovers and continue building consistency as they move forward in their schedule.