Lady Lions break streak with win over Lobos

They say success is not a lucky break. It is not an accident, a birthright, or given to the undeserved. Success is simply a choice  – a choice to put in the time, the hard work, the will, and the dedication to get the job done.

On Dec. 16, 2011, at 5:30 p.m. the Varsity Lady Lions made a choice to be winners – winners in their attitudes, their demeanor, their actions and th

eir play. At the end of the night they were successful, because they put their all into the game, into the team and into one another.

After not winning a district game in five years, the Lady Lions came into the game against Lehman standing 0-1 in district, but were hungry to even up the record and get their first win.

During the first four minutes of play, the Lady Lions went on a 13-2 run, causing the Lady Lobos to take an early time-out.

Lehman developed some momentum in the second quarter, scoring 20 points to the Lady Lions’ 12. They hit a number of free throws, and that got their game going.

As the second half began, the Lady Lions were down 33-30, but back-to-back buckets from Cassie Schroeder and Isis Johnson turned the tide.

The Lady Lobos got into foul trouble early, creating another bonus for the Lady Lions.

“Tassandra McClelland had a great intensity in the post, and she was able to draw fowls, get to the free throw line, and make five out of six in the third quarter,” Coach Brittany Wilson said. “Lanes opened up, allowing Cassie and Isis to get easy looks at the basket. Sierra Aguilar also drove the ball well, but her defense really picked up, giving us the spark we needed.”

The Lady Lions opened the fourth quarter with a one-point lead, which they were able to maintain throughout the remainder of the game.

Wilson credited Kimberly Martinez as being a big help in bringing the ball up the court.

“She did a lot of dribble penetration, which caused the lobos to help off of key players,” she said. “Essence Thompson gave great minutes when Tassandra fouled out in the middle of the fourth. She hit a coupe of free throws and played good defense.”

Johnson came back into the game late in the quarter, taking over with strong offense, trips to the free-throw line, and a few short jumpers.

At the end of the night, the Lady Lions came out on top, 69-61.

“The Lady Lions have accomplished one of the many goals that were set for this season,” Wilson said. “We are extremely proud of our girls and their efforts. We will enjoy this when but will soon get back to work getting ready for our next opponent.”

Johnson led the Lady Lion offense with 40 points, and also had 19 rebounds. McClelland put up 13 points, and snagged 7 rebounds. Schroeder had seven points and seven assists, while Aguilar had five points. Thompson scored three, and Mikaela Ramirez scored one.

The Lady Lions will host Gonzales on Dec. 29 at 12:30 p.m., and resume district play after the holidays when they travel to Clemens on Jan. 3.