Lady Lions struggle against Del Valle

Varsity vs. Del Valle
The Lady Lions hosted the number 2-State Ranked team in Texas, the Del Valle lady Cardinals, on Friday night, Jan. 27, in the Lions” Den.
The Lady Cardinals came out firing and didn”t hold back. They outscored Lockhart 34-2 in the first quarter.
“They are peaking right now and this is the time of year you want to be in that stage,” sai

d Coach David Johnston.
Senior Noelle Marquina hit the lone basket for the Lady Lions.
The second quarter started with a 4-0 run by the Lady Cardinals. After a quick Lockhart timeout, the Lady Lions went on a scoring run of their own, 10 to 13 against the Lady Cardinals to close out the half.
“We simply talked about being mentally tough and playing hard,” said Coach Johnston.
Cecilya Smith, Zenaida Rubio, Mariah Carter and Marquina added points to the scoreboard for the lady Lions. Del Valle only outscored the Lady Lions 17-10 in that second quarter.
However, the momentum would swing back to the visitors for a 14-2 scoring effort in the third quarter. Junior guard Adrian Carter made Lockhart”s basket.
Mariah Carter grabbed five rebounds for the game, while
Rubio grabbed one rebound.
Marquina, Venoris Carter, and Christan Kelly each dish out three assists.
The Lady Lions scored 10 points in the fourth quarter. Andrea Carter, Adrian Carter, Mariah Carter and Smith contributed to the scoring.
“We really played hard and I”m proud of the girls,” said Johnston.
The Del Valle Lady Cardinals moved to a 27-1 record after the 72-24 victory against the Lady Lions.

Varsity vs. Vista Ridge
The Lady Lions traveled to Vista Ridge on Tuesday night, Jan. 24, for a district 26-4A basketball game.
The Lady Lions were defeated by the Lady Rangers with a final score of 54-26.
The Lady Lions got down early as the home team used the crowd and emotions to take a commanding 21-7 first quarter lead.
“The Lady Rangers really came out hot from the floor hitting three out of three from three-point land,” said Coach Johnston.
Lockhart made three baskets all from different
Lady Lions. Marquina, Smith and Mariah Carter contributed to the first quarter points. Junior guard Adrian Carter would hit one of two free throws.
In the second quarter, the Lady Lions tightened down defensively, holding Vista Ridge to just 10 points. Kelly, Caitlin Mitchell, and Andrea Carter would all get a steal in the quarter to lead the defensive
effort.
Guard Venoris Carter hit two out of two free throws, while Mitchell grabbed a rebound and hit a jumper off the glass to keep the Lady Lions in the game.
“Mitchell did a good job off the bench tonight. She plays tough, aggressive defense and is one of our hardest workers,” added Johnston.
The quarter would end, and Vista Ridge would go into the halftime break with a 31-13 advantage.
Much to the dismay of the Lockhart Lady Lions, the third quarter would mirror the first.
Vista Ridge regained the momentum by hitting two 3-pointers and running the floor.
“We were hoping to come out in the third and battle our way back into the game. Vista Ridge just made great plays,” said Johnston.
Marquina and Adrian Carter would hit the only baskets in the quarter for the Lady Lions, while the Lady Rangers would extend their lead by 12 points.
In the fourth quarter, Mariah Carter scored seven of her game-high nine points.
Andrea Carter hit a basket and the Lady Lions would not give up.
“This team has done a tremendous job playing until that final buzzer,” added Johnston.

Freshman vs. Vista Ridge
The Lockhart Lady Lions” freshman basketball team traveled to Vista Ridge Tuesday night, Jan. 24, taking on the Lady Rangers.
The Lady Lions got to a slow start against the Lady Rangers. They were outscored by 15 points in the first quarter. However, the Lady Lions came within six points with six minutes remaining in the game, but ran out of time to fall by a score of 41-31.
“What a great effort we showed tonight,” said Coach Davis. “I was very proud of the girls fighting back from an early deficit to keep the game close. We just ran out of time. Getting a better start to the game could have made a huge difference in the end.”
The Lady Lions were led in scoring by Gabbie Cox who totaled 11 points while grabbing three rebounds. Shelby Henrichs was next in scoring netting eight points while dishing out five assists. Vanessa Gonzales scored six points, had three rebounds and came away with two steals. Victoria Aguilar added four points and led the team in rebounding pulling down five boards. Leslie Jacobs rounded out the scoring with two points while adding two rebounds.
“We continue to play hard and play well together, so there are many pluses to take away from the game tonight,” added Davis. “I look forward to a great week of practice and a strong effort when Del Valle comes to town.”
(Courtesy of Dave Johnston)