Threes rain down for Collins, Lady Tigers

DRIPPING SPRINGS – A huge photo of the Lady Tigers, who won the Girls 3A State Basketball Championship in 1994, hangs on the wall of Tiger Gym. Sandi Bourland is in the team photo and Rain Collins, a junior on this year’s team, is well aware of at least one of the records Bourland holds, along with three other former players. Bourland (12/11/93), Jisele Green (12/06/08), Julia Graham (12/13/16) and Ally Beck (02/05/19) each hold the record of six 3-point field goals in a single game.

Collins has twice tied the record and added her name to the list.  She tied the record again on Friday, Jan. 5 in a district game against visiting Anderson High School, making six 3-pointers. In doing so, she put 25 points on the board to help the Lady Tigers (3-5) earn a 42-29 win over the Trojans. “My goal is to beat the record; it would be really cool, but it’s ok if I don’t,” Collins said after the game, “I’m grateful to be able to have the ball to shoot this much.”

It was the Trojans making the 3-point shots to take a 12-4 lead in the first period. Collins scored all the points in the second period, with a couple of 3-pointers and a free throw to cut Anderson’s lead to 18-11. Head coach Jordan Batson made a change for the second half. “Playing zone wasn’t working for us, so we switched to one on one,” Batson said. Dripping Springs put 31 points on the board in the second half, while holding the Trojans to just 11 points.

Collins accounted for 18 points with three field goals and four 3-pointers in the half. Kenlea Hardin put in 4 points, Ella Beatty had a 3-pointer, Caroline Shealy, Ainsley Coleman, Layne Fields, Chloe Vaughn and Bailey Rogers each had 2 points. Dripping Springs’ 21 steals in the game improved its chances to score. Collins and Hardin led in steals with six each, Fields had three, Vaughn and Coleman had two each, Beatty and Gracie Embry had one each.

With three seniors, Jocelyn Freemyer, Jaiden Stankard and Hardin, the team is in a re-build mode in 6A for the second year. “We realize we’re not the best,” Collins said, “But we’re all working really hard to be the best.” The Lady Tigers will begin the second round of District 26 play when they host Austin High at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 12.