By Moses Leos III
Not even a Hays Lady Rebel triple team could halt Jordan Moore from leading the Stony Point Tigers to a 71-51 bi-district playoff win Tuesday at Cedar Creek High School.
The 6-foot, 3-inch Moore led all scorers with 22-points. Hays Lady Rebel sophomore Choon Hee-Chae led the Lady Rebels with 14-points.
Hays (21-11) had no answer for Moore, whose size commanded attention in the paint. Lady Rebel senior guard Alexis Delgado said double and even triple teaming Moore was the game plan.
Despite the size disadvantage, coach Danny Preuss said his team “had people in the right spot” to defend Moore. Keeping her from crashing the boards, particularly on the offensive end, became the problem. Moore’s prowess inside allowed her to score 18 points in the first half.
“I think we kind of forgot that we still have to block her out,” Preuss said. “Just because she didn’t take a shot, doesn’t mean she’s not going to get the rebound. That hurt us a lot.”
Stony Point began by surging out to a 15-5 lead. A subsequent 6-0 Hays run cut the Tigers’ lead to 15-11. Stony Point led 20-13 heading into the second quarter.
Moore and the Tiger offense maintained consistency, building a 25-16 lead before Hays rallied again. A 5-0 spurt, highlighted by a three-pointer from sophomore Choon Hee-Chae, placed Hays within four points at 27-23.
But the Tigers put the game away shortly thereafter. Following free throws from Moore, the Tigers scored the next five points, all aided by consecutive Hays turnovers.
Before Hays could blink, Stony Point expanded its lead to 34-23. Stony Point continued the onslaught, outscoring Hays 9-5 to close the first half.
Much of Hays’ woes were due to a smothering and tenacious Stony Point defense. Utilizing the press, Stony Point’s length created havoc for the Lady Rebels, who had numerous shot attempts blocked and passes intercepted or disrupted.
Hays senior Karlie Schroeder said the Tigers consistent presence on offense added to their troubles. It allowed the Tigers to pull away in the third and fourth quarters.
“Their speed wasn’t a problem as much as the height and the shooting,” Schroeder said. “The last film we saw, they weren’t shooting as well as we saw.”
Despite the loss, Preuss complimented the play of his team during the season. Reaching 21 wins, and “competing in every game,” were a few goals set by Preuss. He also lauded the play of his senior leaders.
Program history was also made as the Lady Rebels were the first team to reach the playoffs in Class 6A.
Despite not advancing, Schroeder recognized the legacy she and her senior leaders leave behind.
“It’s exciting, at the same point, we wish we had gotten past the first round,” she said.
