Lady Tiger Basketball has tough road ahead

As basketball season winds down and the Lady Tigers prepare for the playoffs, they can only do what they can do. Unfortunately, it will not prepare them well for what looks like a tough road ahead. The top four in District 26 looks to be very formidable. They are Veterans Memorial, Kerrville Tivy, SA Wagner and Boerne-Champion in that order. The best thing is they will be taking on the fourth place team rather than higher up in the first round. We are certainly familiar with old nemesis' in the form of Tivy and BC. It is hard to get the experience of a starting five having to go hard for four quarters when the games are runaways and everyone playing to hold down the score. Certainly fresh legs are a plus and you play the games because it is determined on the court and not on paper.

The Lady Tigers (27-7, 13-0) disposed of four more district foes and will finish up at home with Northeast. Most recently they ran past Crockett 70-19, then turned back LBJ 61-38, Lockhart 53-17 and finally McCallum 70-29.

Not that it was ever in doubt, but it did not take very long to remove any with Crockett. Thanks to break away layups, with Caroline Gamble the recipient of most, the Lady Tigers had a 17-0 lead after four minutes. After one it was 25-4. With everyone getting in on the action the lead was extended to 46-10 at half. It was 58-15 after three.

Many times lesser teams can hang in while they are fresh but later as the continuous pressure of the opponent overwhelms them, the fight goes away. Appears to be part of it with LBJ. It was 16-10 after one and then 28-21 at the half. LBJ lost more ground in the third at 40-24.

The Lockhart game was one of similarities. Both the Lady Lions and the Lady Tigers decided to pack their zone defenses in the paint and force the other to work to get an inside shot or take it from the three. The problem for Lockhart was they had neither the accuracy or firepower when they did have a shot. Also, the Lady Tigers put pressure with a three-quarter press. As many presses go, a team may not have much of a problem for a while and then a couple of quick baskets. That was the formula for the Lady Tigers as they continued to widen the lead during the game.

Because of the pace, scoring was not fast and furious. DS eased out to an 8-0 lead before ending the quarter at 9-4. A couple of free throws made it 9-6 and the possibility of a game but not to be. An 11-0 run put the score 20-6 at the break. A quick basket by Lockhart was followed by a 15-0 run from DS. The exclamation point was added when Teagan Huslig popped a three as the buzzer went off to make it 38-11. Lockhart began the fourth with a pair of threes before the Lady Tigers would finish with another 15-0 run for the final score.

Ditto for McCallum. It was 27-6 after one, 40-17 at the half and 59-22 after three.

Vs Navarro: Caroline Gamble 19, Corbyn Davis 10, Teagan Huslig 9, Ashleigh Askamit 8, Lilee McGinnis 5, Kline Stafford 5, Madalyn Jarvis 4, Avery Johnson 3, Ally Beck 2.

Vs LBJ: Stafford 21, Gamble 13, Beck 9, Davis 5, Askamit 4, Mallari O'Neal 4, Chloe Fredenburg 4, Johnson 1.

Vs Lockhart: Johnson 14, Gamble 10, Stafford 9, Davis 8, Beck 4, Huslig 3, Gesena Mitchhart 3, Jarvis 2.

Vs McCallum: Davis 19, Stafford 11, Gamble 10, Johnson 6, O'Neal 5, Jarvis 4, Aksamit 2, Carson Hall 2, Fredenburg 2, Huslig 2, Beck 2, Mitchhart 2, Kora Meyers 2, Emma Smith 1.