Lady Lions fall to Fredericksburg and Luling

By Alonzo Garza
POST-REGISTER

The Varsity Lady Lions went into the Thanksgiving holidays with two losses after falling 74-37 to the Fredericksburg Lady Billies on Tuesday, Nov. 25 and 61-52 to the Luling Lady Eagles at the Lion’s Den on Monday. Nov. 24.

Lockhart vs. Fredericksburg
The Lady Lions arrived in Fredericksburg on Tuesday, Nov. 25 with A

manda Alvarez, Katy Duda and Vanessa Gonzales unable to participate in the game due to injuries.
The remaining Lady Lions had a sluggish start. The Lady Billies outscored the Lady Lions 22-4 in the first period. The second period was a closer match with the Lady Lions scoring 14 points to the Lady Billies’ 17. The first half ended at 39-18.

“It was a disappointing road trip for us,” Coach Melissa Fisher said after returning from the game. “Fredericksburg is a talented team. I was so proud of the heart and determination our girls showed tonight. This game will add to our experience level and hopefully prepare us for our upcoming tournament play.”

The second half also started with Fredericksburg leading in scoring. The Lady Billies dominated the court, increasing their lead to 64-22 at the end of the third.

Lady Lion Tory Hill had to sit out the rest of the game after a blow to the head in the third.

Lockhart fought back, outscoring Fredericksburg by five points in the fourth.

“Coming off the bench with outstanding contributions for the Lady Lions were Brandy Stacks, Desiree Winn and Yulee Merida,” Fisher said. “The Lady Lions gave everything they had but fell short with a final score of 74-37. The Billies were outstanding from the three-point line with seven of 11 hitting the mark.”

Fredricksburg was 38 percent from the field while Lockhart was 22. Lockhart improved from previous games on the free throw line.

Alisha Officer led Lady Lion scoring with 10 points. Andrea McKinney, Stacks and Hill each contributed six points. McKinney and Winn led at the board with six rebounds each.

Chelsy Martinez and Stacks each grabbed four steals, but the Lady Lions had 21 turnovers on the night.

“I am looking forward to seeing these girls improve and grow as a team,” Fisher said. “As I told them after the game, I am so proud to be their coach.”

Lockhart vs. Luling
The Lady Lions hosted the Luling Lady Eagles at the Lion’s Den on Monday, Nov. 24.

Luling opened with a commanding 17-9 lead at the end of the first period.
Senior guard Vanessa Gonzales had to sit out the rest of the game after getting a high ankle sprain in the first.

The Lady Lions rallied back in the second and came within two points of the Lady Eagles, making for an excited period. Both teams had foul trouble and exchanged free throws in the first half. Luling took advantage of the free throws and closed the scoring at 41-32 going into the halftime break.

The Lady Lions came back with a fierce determination in the third, but the Lady Eagles were not prepared to lose. Lockhart matched Luling point for point during the third, but Luling took the lead in the fourth, ending the game at 61-52.

“Tonight’s loss was a tough one,” Fisher said after the game. “It was a fierce battle. We’ve just got to keep working hard.”

Officer led the Lady Lion scoring with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Winn added 11 points while Hill contributed eight, including a three-pointer and four assists. Alvarez and Martinez made three steals each.

The Lady Lions struggled with their shooting from the line. Only 15 out of 30 shots made it through the net. Turnovers were a significant factor in the loss. The Lady Lions had 29 turnovers, while Luling only had eight.

The Lady Lions traveled to Austin on Tuesday, Dec. 2 to face the Austin Travis Lady Cavaliers and will participate in the Yoakum Tournament from Dec. 4-6. Check next week’s Post-Register for scores, highlights and tournament results.
agarza@post-register.com