By Briana Amaro
The Hays Lady Rebel basketball team (20-9, 9-4) rolled to a 54-26 victory over the Austin High Lady Maroons (3-15, 3-9) Tuesday night at Bales Gym.
Hays sophomore Gabby Bosquez led the Lady Rebs with a game high 15 points. Junior Choon Hee Chae was right behind with 13 points and Jada Finister finished with eight points.
The Lady Rebels offense hit the ground running from the onset. Hays maintained its lead by securing offensive rebounds, which gave its offense extra time and opportunities beneath the basket.
But defense also played a pivotal factor in the Lady Rebels’ success. That extended to securing rebounds on the defensive end.
“That was our goal tonight: to play good defense,” said head girls basketball coach Danny Preuss. “We hit some big shots when we needed to hit our shots.”
Hays’ tenacious defense continued into the second quarter as it disconnected Austin High passes and kept the Lady Maroons from staying beneath the basket.
That allowed the Lady Rebels to push the ball up the court.
Hays built a 30-10 lead over Austin High by halftime.
“When you have enough points the first half to win, I think you’ve played a pretty good game,” Preuss said.
Austin High got the ball rolling after halftime. The Maroons shortened the gap by limiting the Lady Rebels’ scoring capabilities.
Preuss said Austin High’s size shook up the Lady Rebel offense in the zone.
The Lady Maroons, however, were not able to keep their momentum in the second half.
Hays controlled the pace of play in the fourth quarter. Hays continued to snag rebounds and were able to hit shots from three-point range.
The Lady Rebels travel to play at Westlake on Friday at 7 p.m. Westlake currently holds the second place spot in District 14-6A. Hays returns home on Feb. 2 as they host Bowie at Bales Gym. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
“When you go in feeling confident and knowing you have a shot to win the game, that’s good,” Preuss said. “(The team) is always confident.”