A plethora of turnovers Monday plagued the Lehman Lady Lobos in a 64-57 loss to the Akins Lady Eagles at Lobo Gym.
Two Akins Lady Eagles scored in double figures, led by Zazil De La Vega’s game high 17 points. Lehman senior guard Lauren Fowler tallied 13 points, while senior Kayla Johnson contributed ten.
Lehman’s possession issues began early and often. The Lady Lobos committed nine turnovers in the first eight minutes of play; they turned it over 27 times in the contest.
But Lehman kept pace with a speedy Akins squad in the early going. Lehman rallied from an 8-2 deficit to tie the score at 10-10.
The Lady Lobos trailed by only three at 15-12 before Akins found its rhythm. The Lady Eagles closed the first quarter on a 15-5 run, taking a 30-17 first quarter lead.
Akins’ offense was aided by Lehman’s inability to maintain possession. Lehman’s struggles stemmed from an aggressive Lady Eagle defense which utilized the full court press.
The tone changed in the second frame as Lehman cut down on turnovers. In turn, the Lady Lobos offense regained composure, working out of the press and gaining traction on offense.
Lehman went on a 10-0 run to start the second quarter, which was capped off by a bucket in transition from senior Kayla Martinez.
The Lady Lobos cut Akins’ lead to 30-27, eventually pulling to within two at 35-33. The Lady Lobos trailed 37-33 at the half. Junior Ashlynne Hardaway led the charge, scoring seven points in the quarter.
Lady Lobos head coach Jamie Coy said an emphasis toward taking care of the ball led to success in the second frame. Beating the Akins press was also a factor.
“They (Akins) kind of got to us a little bit, but we battled through it well,” Coy said. “We came back and made some good transition points and we were running the floor.”
Momentum gained on offense was quickly lost in the third quarter. Turnover problems resurfaced as the Lady Lobos committed ten in the third quarter.
Akins took advantage by slowly expanding their lead. They did so by attacking the paint and drawing fouls.
The Lady Eagles hit the low post with forwards Kaitlin Egdorf and McKenzie Lunkin. The duo combined for eight of the 16 points scored by Akins in the third quarter.
Coy said Lehman’s defensive issues, and subsequent foul troubles, were caused by fundamental issues.
“It’s just lazy defense, not moving our feet, reaching for a ball, instead of sliding over and making sure we stop the drive,” Coy said. “Making sure we chest a player and not just sticking out an arm. An arm is not a stop sign to a good player.”
Turnover and foul troubles continued into the final quarter, with Akins taking a 61-49 advantage.
A late Lehman rally fell short despite Kayla Johnson scoring five points in the final two minutes.
Lehman’s Kayla Martinez scored eight points, while Akins’ Denae Lofton had nine.
