The Yorktown Kitty Kat and Wildcat varsity basketball teams picked up wins last Tuesday in District 312A action. On Tuesday, January 7, 2025, Yorktown traveled to Skidmore-Tynan to take on the Lady Cats and Bobcats.
In a game filled with momentum swings and late-game drama, the Yorktown Kitty Kats clawed their way to a nail-biting 31-28 victory. The Kitty Kats got off to a shaky start, falling behind 5-0 early. But freshman sharpshooter Palyn Koopmann ignited the offense, sinking backto- back three-pointers to fuel a nine-point run that put Yorktown ahead 9-5 at the end of the first quarter. Skidmore- Tynan countered in the second, outscoring Yorktown 8-3 to grab a slim 13-12 lead at halftime.
The Lady Cats came out firing in the third quarter, building their largest lead of the night, 26-18, before the game took an electrifying turn. Yorktown began to chip away, with senior Sydnie Krueger and sophomore Rylie Krueger combining for three crucial free throws to trim the deficit to 2621 entering the fourth quarter. The final frame was a heart-stopper. Senior Nina Villarreal’s basket and a Yorktown free throw cut the gap to 27-23 with four minutes to play. Sophomore Kendall Sievers’ basket and Koopmann’s free throw then brought the Kitty Kats within one, 27-26, with two minutes remaining. With time ticking down, Skidmore added a free throw to go up 28-26, but Villarreal answered with a free throw of her own. Then, in a pivotal moment, S. Krueger grabbed a rebound off a missed free throw and delivered a clutch putback to give Yorktown its first lead since the opening half, 2928. Koopmann sealed the deal with two icecold free throws in the final 18 seconds, as the Kitty Kats celebrated a hard-fought 3128 victory. Koopmann led Yorktown with 11 points, six rebounds and four steals. Villarreal finished with seven points, while S. Krueger had six points and nine rebounds.
