Lady Lions sweep Apaches

By LPR Staff

Editor/POST-REGISTER

The Lady Lion basketball teams were on fire coming off the Thanksgiving break, dropping the Gonzales Lady Apaches at all levels in the Lion”s Den on Monday evening.

The Lady Lion Freshman improved their season record to 2-1 with a resounding 47-20 win over Gonzales.

Although the team came out strong offensively, p

ulling ahead to a 12-2 lead in the first quarter, they struggled with foul trouble, helping the Apaches put nine points on the board in the second.

After the half, the Lady Lions regrouped defensively, allowing only two free-throw points in the third. Still, they continued to have foul trouble, with Raven Smith eventually fouling out of the game.

In the fourth, the Lady Lions poured on the heart and determination, closing the game not only with a resounding victory, but also setting their season record for points in a quarter, picking up 17 in the fourth.

Leading the Lady Lions in scoring was guard Alicia Rodriguez who put up 11 points, followed by guard Amanda Houseton with nine, and forward Gloria Horton with eight. Also scoring for Lockhart were guard Savanna Schneider with five, guard Tristen St. Peter with four, and forward Taylor Foroughi with four. Bailey Lipscomb, Raven Smith and Natalie Hopper each had two on the night. Guard Norma Jaramillo and Alexis Hernandez each played consistent defense to hold the Lady Apaches to minimal scoring. Sarah Hughey, Mia Pancamo, and Julia Crawford also added valuable minutes off the bench to secure the victory.

While the Freshmen were taking it to the Apaches, the JV Lady Lions were on the main floor of the Lion”s Den in a battle of their own, which eventually ended with a 31-30 victory.

Although the Lady Lions picked up and maintained a comfortable lead through the first three quarters of play, the Apaches rallied during the fourth, chipping away at the lead and finally closing in, until the final buzzer ended the rally with a Lady Lion win.

Macy Riddle led in scoring with nine points, while Alexe Hedspeth picked up seven. Alexis Hurst and Tisha Rios each had three. Deja Wells-Coleman scored two, and Ariana Gamboa chipped in one.

Embracing the momentum set up by the sub-varsity teams, the Varsity Lady Lions took the court with a strong first quarter, capitalizing on five out of nine shots from the field, and going .50 from the line to  gain a 13-8 lead.

The Ladies locked down defensively and increased scoring in the second, widening their lead to 28-15 by the half.

“We had the momentum going into the second half, but Gonzales started to pick up the scoring,” Head Coach Brittany Wilson said.

The Lady Lions got back to their active defensive style, which led to quick fast-break points and allowed the Lady Lions to put down 19 points in the third quarter alone.

“The last eight minutes of the game were hectic, but we were able to hold on to our lead,” she said.

Still, the Apaches outscored Lockhart in the fourth, allowing them to come within six points before the end of the game, which the Lady Lions won 57-52.

Tassandra McClelland was the Lady Lions” scoring leader, putting 23 points on the board. Sierra Aguilar chipped in 14, while Raven Reed had seven and Essence Thompson picked up five. Mikaela Ramirez and Brianna  Sneed got three points each, and Alex Martinez had two.

The Varsity Lady Lions will travel to Navarro this weekend for a Varsity tournament, while the sub-varsity heads to Halletsville for tournament play this weekend, and the entire squad will return to the Lion”s Den to host the Clemens Buffaloes on Dec. 17.

Additional information provided by Brittany Wilson, Morgan Snody and Julayne Ortiz-Williams