Struggles in corralling an efficient Pflugerville Panther offense brought the Hays Lady Rebels 2016 playoff run to a quick halt Monday in Elgin.
Seventeen points from Panther senior Mykiel Burleson lifted Pflugerville to a 54-47 win, eliminating Hays in the bi-district round of the playoffs.
Despite the loss, Lady Rebel head coach Danny Preuss lauded his team’s ability to rally back from a near disastrous first quarter.
“I thought for the most part we held with them pretty good,” Preuss said. “They never quit. Not sure if a lot of people gave us a chance tonight … we gave (Pflugerville) everything they could handle.”
Pflugerville, led by Burleson, senior Andrea Funderburke and Alexis Bryant, controlled the pace of play in the first quarter.
The Panthers’ athletic ability and frenetic pace forced Lady Rebel turnovers, which turned into buckets on the opposite end.
Pflugerville led Hays 16-9 after the first quarter. Funderburke finished with 11 points, while Bryant had nine.
Preuss said Hays attempted to weather the storm, but had a “deer in the headlights” look.
“In the first quarter, we came out a little scared,” Hays High junior Jada Finister said.
The Panthers lead expanded to 22-11 with 4:49 left in the second frame before the Lady Rebels fought back. Finisher led the charge, using her size and ability to counter the play of Bryant, who was an imposing figure in the paint.
But playing against Bryant during summer league basketball helped Finister know what to expect.
“It was hard work and really tiring, but I practiced really hard,” Finister said. “She brought her ‘A’ game and so did we. I think we played with them well.”
Improved chemistry, according to Finister, allowed Hays to cut the Panther lead to 27-25 at halftime. The Lady Rebels continued to ride the momentum in the early stages of the third frame.
Finister, along with junior Choon Hee Chae and Jaden Williams, propelled Hays to take its first lead of the game at 31-29 with 5:29 left in the third quarter. Chae finished with 11 points, while Williams had six.
“We told (Finister), ‘She (Bryant) isn’t going to keep up with you if you run the floor,” Preuss said. “I thought she (Finister) came up with a big game. She stepped up tonight.”
But Hays struggled to halt Pflugerville’s guards, particularly with the absence of Amanda Benjamin in the third quarter. Benjamin, who picked up four fouls in the first half, sat for the entire third quarter.
It allowed Pflugerville to regain the lead. A critical four-point play from Burleson late in the third frame gave Pflugerville a 40-35 lead and momentum they wouldn’t relinquish.
Adequate rebounding helped the Panther offense stave off Hays’ attempt at a comeback in the fourth quarter.
Preuss lauded his team’s ability to take it “upon themselves” to make the playoffs.
Williams said it was nice to be able to reach the playoffs. Benjamin said the team had higher expectations to close the year.
“We wanted to get farther, but we fell short,” Benjamin said.