By Moses Leos III.
After suffering a tough overtime loss to district favorite Kerrville Tivy on Dec. 17, the Hays High Lady Rebels responded in a big way Friday afternoon.
A dominant defensive effort helped Hays smother Lockhart 51-14. Hays improved to 2-1 in district play as they hit the holiday break.
Hays’ defensive prowess began from the onset, as they held an 11-0 lead after a quarter.
They took a 13-2 lead before the offensive floodgates began to open. The Lady Rebel offense gained momentum, going on a 12-3 run to close the first half.
Hays High post Jill Borreson goes up for a shot in the Lady Rebels’ road game at the Lions Den in Lockhart on Friday. A determined defensive effort led the Lady Rebels in a 51-14 win. (Photo by Moses Leos III) |
Senior Jordyne Dugger led the scoring effort in the second, tallying six of her eight total points on the night. Hays went to halftime with a commanding 25-5 lead.
Attacking the interior was a bonus for the Lady Rebels, as they attacked the shorter Lockhart defense. Hays’ size advantage extended to rebounding, as the Rebels dominated Lockhart on the glass.
“We came in strong as a team, didn’t underestimate them, and scored,” senior Jill Borreson said. “We got the ball inside a lot and worked hard for the win.”
A constant all game long was the defensive pressure Hays’ guards placed on Lockhart’s backcourt. Junior guard Alexis Delgado was the catalyst, harrying Lockhart’s guards and forcing turnovers — a tactic she said the entire team used.
Hays head coach Danny Preuss lauded Delgado’s ability to read Lockhart’s offensive and effectively cause them grief.
“When they turned around, they didn’t see floor,” Delgado said. “We had easy stealing access. We have good speed, so we can take away their passes.”
In addition, the Lady Rebel frontcourt caused issues in the paint. Borreson said the team learned a new defensive scheme to take advantage of their length on the inside.
The maneuver worked, as the Lady Rebels’ size negated any offensive opportunity for Lockhart in the paint. Breanna Sneed led Lockhart with four points.
“Although we can dominate on the offense end, our defensive aspect of the game needs to improve,” Borreson said. “It turned out pretty good this game.”
Hays’ offense began to take shape in the third. Under the guidance of Borreson, who scored nine of her game high 17 points, Hays continued to widen its lead over Lockhart.
Hays went on a seven-minute, 16-4 run, highlighted by a Dugger layup, which was set up by a steal from Delgado with two minutes remaining.
Hays’ Madison Zapata then added a three-point bucket from the left baseline to give Hays a 41-9 lead. The Lady Rebs held a 41-11 lead going into the fourth.
From there, Hays’ defensive onslaught continued, as Lockhart struggled to get any traction on the offensive end.
Delgado said the key was to feed the ball into the post, with the team’s desire to play their best. There were signs of miscues, including playing out-of-control at times, as well as missing easy layups. Still, the team was able to regroup and recover.
“Sometimes we play out of control, but we pick it up and go slow and run our plays,” she said.
Preuss praised his team’s performance; specifically, its ability to hold down Lockhart to single digits for most of the first half.
“When the defense can keep you in a game, and win the game … it’s a pretty good job,” he said.
The Lady Rebs now await their next game on Dec. 28 against New Braunfels. With limited practice time before that match up, Preuss waits to see how his team will react.
For Borreson, the team went into Lockhart thinking it was the “the most important game of the season.” Hays looks to keep that mentality going forward.
“[We] don’t want to underestimate anyone,” Borreson said.
