Lady Lions battle Taylor

Varsity
The Lady Lions basketball team hosted the Taylor Ducks at the Lions” Den Tuesday, Jan. 11, in what turned out to be an exciting game for the athletes and the fans.
Lockhart started the first quarter with intensity taking the first lead and holding it the entire game. They used good passing decisions and grabbed offensive and defensive rebounds to fight f

or possession of the ball.
Trailing 18-6 at the start of the second quarter, Taylor tried using their outside shooters to gain points. However, their shot attempts weren”t enough to catch up to Lockhart”s lead. The Lady Lions capitalized on the Ducks” missed shots by grabbing defensive rebounds giving them more opportunities to score.
By the end of the first half, Lockhart still retained a 24-17 lead over Taylor.
At halftime, a rhythmic performance by the Lockhart High School band got people on their feet and dancing in the stands. When the Lady Lions returned from the halftime break, the intensity level was raised in support of them.
Taylor seemed to feed off of the gymansium”s intensity by outscoring the Lady Lions in the third quarter. Now only leading 27-22, the Lady Lions fought hard to maitain their 5-point advantage.
Taylor cut the lead down to a 2-point difference with only 3:30 left on the clock. They used they defensive rebounds to keep the Lady Lions from scoring and added points on their score.
Ahead by only one point, Lady Lion senior Whitney Winn added two points to increase their lead while being covered by three Taylor defenders under the basket. The unstoppable center also gained nine rebounds, six blocks and a total of ten points.
Junior Lady Lion Noelle Marquina received a pass from Winn under the basket for a 2-point jumper increasing their lead to five points. Taylor responded with two outside shots that totaled four points.
With 45 seconds left and a 1-point lead, Lady Lion head coach David Johnston called a time out to settle the girls” enthusiasm and explain his victorious strategy. Lockhart returned to the court with possession of the ball awaiting Taylor”s defenders to foul them. After being pressured in a full court press, senior guard SueRe”esa Williams was sent to the free-throw line and completed both shots with ease. Lockhart”s lead improved to 39-34 after sophomore guard Ka”tina Green was also sent to the free-throw line when she was fouled. Taylor tried to overcome the Lady Lions with a 2-point jumper, however, they ran out of time leaving the Lady Lions with a 39-36 victory.
Contributing to Lockhart”s 39 points was Williams with a game high of 17 points including 3 three-pointers, and senior guard Tara Chapman with six points. Williams also made two assists and forced turnovers with two steals.
“The Lady Lion basketball team would like to thank the junior high girls” team and the cheering fans for all of their support,” Johnston said. “The basketball band really had the Den rockin” and raised the girls” intensity to another level. The crowd got into it (the music), which made a great basketball atmosphere. Everyone showed their school spirit here tonight.”
The Lady Lions improved their District record to 2-3 after winning over Taylor. Their next game will be against Hendrickson on Jan. 14 at 5:30, 6:30 and 8 p.m.
To see game highlights of the Tuesday night game, visit http://teacherweb.com/TX.LockhartHighSchool/LadyLionBasketball. The Lady Lions” rosters, game schedule and game reports are available as well.

J.V.
The Lady Lions” junior varsity team matched up against the Taylor Ducks Tuesday evening for a close scoring game, 38-41, favoring Taylor.
“We lost by three points,” coach Jennifer Jones said. “We were almost there, but just came up short. But we came together really well tonight as a team. The game was just a barn burner.”
Contributing points for the Lady Lions were Alyson Daily with 10 points, Cecilya Smith with seven points, Danielle Beltran with six points, Camille Burrhus-Clay with five points, as well as Naomi Oliva and Jenee Burrhus-Clay each adding four points. Beltran and Camille Burrhus-Clay also grabbed six rebounds each to the Lady Lions.
“I saw great defense from Ceci (Smith). We are a very young team with eight freshmen on the team. I believe that Lockhart has a bright future with these young girls,” Jones said.

Freshman
Lockhart”s Lady Lion freshman team went head-to head against the Lady Ducks at the Lions” Den Tuesday evening.
“It was such a close game,” coach Peggy Cadena said. “We were unlucky and just ran out of time.”
The 25-27 defeat for Lockhart seemed heartbreaking for the Lady Lions as gave everything they had on the court.
Giving the Lady Lions their hard earning 25 points were Jaimie Ruiz with 11 points, Zaida Hager with 11 points, Teie Harris with two points and Natalie Briceno with a free throw. Grabbing the rebounds were Lady Lions Shaundalyn and Quandalyn Brite with seven and eight each respectively.