JAMESTOWN — Andy Skunberg started the prep basketball season with 11 girls on the Jamestown High School girls basketball roster.
Now he's down to nine.
As of Feb. 4, Annie Nabwe and Haylie Hakanson are both out of playing contention for the Blue Jays.
After a standout 20-point performance against Dickinson on Jan. 28, Nabwe suffered a grade-three sprained ankle in the Blue Jays' tilt against Bismarck St. Mary's on Jan. 29.
Hakanson, a junior forward for the Jays, suffered an inline stress fracture on her foot, the result of a lot of pounding since beginning her junior prep season back in August with the Jamestown High School volleyball team.
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The duo felt the frustration of their injuries in full force Thursday evening against Bismarck High. After a solid first half that ended with the Demons up 27-25, the Jays ran out of gas and ended up dropping 73-53.
"I felt frustrated because I couldn't do anything about what was going on in the game and I just wanted to be out there and help my teammates," Nabwe said.
"They did a pretty good job. We just didn't have enough people to work hard all of the time. We've got to trust in our teammates and help them do what they can do and cheer them on."
Prior to her injury, Nabwe was averaging more than 15 points per game and was shooting at 55.8% from the floor. The senior has nabbed 147 rebounds, dished out 22 assists and is currently leading the Blue Jays in blocks (10) and steals (33).
Depending on how her ankle is feeling, Skunberg said the Jays might use Nabwe against Turtle Mountain on Feb. 5, but would likely not start the senior and limit her minutes to only those necessary. Nabwe has played 307 total minutes so far this season — the fourth most on the team.
Hakanson won't be adding to her minutes for at least another week.
"It's hard to just sit and watch," Hakanson said. "Especially practices and games — it's hard to watch both. I trust the girls that are out there. I trust that they are working hard.
"A lot of the other girls on the bench are fun so that can make things interesting still."
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Hakanson, a regular sub-in for Skunberg and the Jays, has played 213 total minutes so far this season and has drawn up a 2.1 points per game average. At the hoop, the junior has nabbed 42 rebounds, the third-most on the team. She is also responsible for nine assists and four steals.
As a team, the Jays are out-rebounding their competition 539-388, out-stealing 117-92 and out-blocking 16-11. The Jays are also responsible for averaging almost six more assists per game than their opponents.
"People should not take us lightly," Hakanson said. "We have a lot of fire and we work hard even when we don't have a big number of girls"
