By Moses Leos III.
On the final day of 2013, the Hays Lady Rebels and Schertz Clemens Lady Buffaloes battled in a defensive stalemate in Bales Gym, with emotions boiling over at times.
In the end, Hays fell to Clemens 43-40 in overtime.
It was physical from the onset, as the defenses took root.
Hays took the upper hand, as Amanda Benjamin hit a three-pointer from the right wing to take a 7-4 lead.
At top, Hays High point guard Alexis Delgado (33) tries to navigate the lane against Schertz Clemens’ defenders during the Lady Rebels’ overtime loss to Clemens on New Years Eve. (Photo by Lincoln Ramirez) |
But Clemens rallied to tie it at 11 to close the first quarter.
Clemens post Kennedy Centers, who finished with 18 points, guided the Lady Buffalo rally. She scored six of Clemens’ 11 first quarter points.
Hays’ head coach Danny Preuss attributed Center’s start to a defensive disadvantage.
“[Centers] got some easy points in beginning, because we didn’t slide over and recover on defense,” he said.
As the defenses battled in the second, the matchup between Centers and Hays senior Jill Borreson also intensified. Both players jostled in the paint, leading to several tense moments in the contest.
On offense, the Lady Rebels worked to combat the Lady Buff’s size. Hays attempted to work the ball to Borreson and senior power forward Jordyne Dugger.
But the play of Clemens’ defense kept them from getting clean looks.Dugger and Borreson went a combined 6 for 19 from the field, with Dugger scoring a team high 11 points.
It also forced 18 Hays turnovers, six of those steals.
While the offense struggled, Hays’ defense stepped up, holding Centers to two points in the second. Hays’ also forced a myriad of three-point attempts from the Lady Buffaloes.
Hays led 18-16 at halftime.
But Clemens physical play took shape in the third, outplaying the Rebels in the interior.
The Lady Rebels couldn’t contain Centers, who accounted for eight of Clemens’ 12 points in the quarter. Clemens held a 28-24 lead going into the fourth.
Clemens’ physical play stymied Hays’ offense. The Lady Rebels struggled to consistently hit shots; they shot 43 percent from the field.
For Preuss, it was a result of not working adequately past Clemens’ size – specifically Centers
“[Centers] is good and she’s physical,” Preuss said. “We asked the girls to pump fake her, but I don’t think we pump faked enough.”
Hays’ struggles grew in the fourth, as the Lady Buffs drove the paint and earned fouls.
It all led to a boiling point with five minutes remaining in the game. A Clemens’ player inadvertently elbowed Borreson in the mouth on a dribble drive. Borreson didn’t return after her injury.
Tempers flared and patience waned several minutes later, as Hays’ Alexis Delgado and Clemens’ Talisha Presley were involved in a mid court altercation following a loose ball.
The event set off the Hays crowd, as the entire gym rose up in a chorus of shouts and complaints.
Delgado was given the foul, with Presley hitting a free throw to give Clemens a 36-30 lead.
That would be the last time Clemens scored in regulation.
Hays, seemingly spurred by the moment, mounted a last-ditch rally.
The Lady Rebel defense caused several turnovers, allowing the team to gather momentum and set up their offense.
“The steals were big. [It’s] something we normally don’t do well,” Preuss said. “The girls stepped up and got some good traps and came away with the ball a couple of times.”
In stepped Dugger, who took advantage of Centers’ foul trouble.
On two straight possessions, Dugger hit two big buckets. None bigger than a game-tying layup with 15 seconds left, allowing Hays to send it to overtime.
“We did what we needed to and stepped up to force it to OT,” Pruess said. “I’m proud of that.”
But Clemens had the answers in overtime. Their dominance in the paint was the factor, as Sabrina Catingal’s four points – two on free throws – led Clemens to the win.
Preuss was proud of his team’s fight, but understands they must work to get back into the district race.
The loss was the second overtime defeat Hays suffered in district; both to front runners Kerrville Tivy and Clemens at home.
“We now have to take care of [Tivy and Clemens] on their home floor,” he said. “We have to dictate that this year. We have to win the rest our games.”
