The West Liberty Boys and Girls basketball teams both dropped their final contests on their 2023 leg of the season last Tuesday against Iowa City Regina.
The Girls fell 56-5, while the boys fell 59-46 in the finale after beating Van Buren County on Monday. The Comets will return to action following winter break.
Monday, the Boys matched up against Van Buren County in non-conference play. The Comets started on all cylinders from the opening tipoff, taking a 17-12 lead after the first quarter.
The Comets matched their scoring output in the second quarter, while holding Van Buren to 10 to take a 34-22 lead into the break.
The Comets keps their foot on the gas in the third quarter, totaling 30 total points while holding their host to four to take a 64-26 lead into the final quarter.
The Comets secured their victory in the fourth, loading up for the long drive home as 77-38 victors.
Jayce McHugh totaled 21 points and 12 rebounds in the win, while Ryker Dengler added 20 more and four assists. Seth Axsom was the other Comet to reach double figures, totaling 12 points.
On Tuesday, both teams headed to Iowa City to take on the Regals. In the night cap, the boys took to the court against their conference foes struggling to find the same offensive presence from the night previous, totaling six in the first quarter and falling behind 11-6.
The Regals continued their attack in the second quarter, totaling 23 points as the Comets headed into the locker room trailing 34-17.
A return to form saw the Comets cut into their deficit outscoring the Regals 13-9 proved a small victory before the heads traded blows in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 a piece as the Comets fell 59-46.
McHugh and Dengler continued to lead the Comet offense, totaling 19 and 14 respectively in the loss.
In the matchup prior, the Comet girls struggled to find their footing against the top five ranked Regals, tallying one point in the first and two in the second to trail 45-3 at the half.
While the offense slowed for the Regals in the second half, the Comet offense would total just two point in the final two quarters and fall 56-3 to close out the first half of the season.
The teams will return to action, first for the girls on Jan. 4, when they head to play Northeast in Gooselake before a Saturday matchup against Camanche in Maquoketa. The boys will return on the Jan. 6 for a road matchup against Hillcrest Academy.