A dominant 23-point effort from Austin Maroon post Mia Heide proved too much for the Lehman Lady Lobos in a 38-14 loss Tuesday at the Lobo Den.
But Heide was only the tipping point for Lobo struggles, which included committing over 20 turnovers during the course of the game.
“We weren’t ever confident,” Lehman head coach James Halatin said. “We have to be in the moment.”
Lobo offensive struggles took root early and often. At the center of those struggles was Heide, a 6-foot, 3-inch tall Tulane University commitment, who kept the Lobos from being able to attack the rim.
Halatin said the Lobos were intimidated by Heide and the Maroon zone defense, which limited Lobo shot attempts. He estimated the team only took 30 total shots in the entire contest.
“We’re not looking for our shots because we were worried about their big coming over and disrupting us,” Halatin said.
Another major problem was ball security, which was exacerbated by a smothering Austin High press. Lehman committed 12 of the team’s 26 turnovers in the first quarter alone.
Those issues allowed Austin to speed out to a 13-0 lead after a quarter of play. The Maroon lead ballooned to 15-0 three minutes into the second quarter before the Lobos orchestrated a response.
Once the Lobos found offensive success, however, they held on to it. Leading the way was freshman point guard Kayla Presley, who accounted for five of the Lobos’ seven second quarter points.
“We were shell shocked at first, but then we settled in,” Halatin said. “They aren’t trusting the spots we need to get into. But when we do execute, you can see it from the bench. They see it, but they have to run it.”
A much more aggressive stance on defense in the second quarter helped Lehman get back in the groove. The Lobos forced six Maroon turnovers in the second frame, with one returned for an easy layup by Presley that cut Austin’s lead to 16-7.
Halatin lauded the play of his defense, which kept Austin’s prolific offense to its lowest point total so far this season. He cited the team’s ability to switch defenses and keep Austin’s offense off-balance.
“We did a good job of switching defenses. We didn’t stay in one defense. We switched it up to make them work a little more,” Halatin said. “If we had stayed in one set, they would have eaten us up. They execute so well.”
But for every answer Lehman had, Heide put together an equally strong response.
A late bucket scored by Heide before halftime gave Austin a 18-7 lead. She then accounted for 12 of Austin’s 20 second half points.
Conversely, Lehman was unable to regain momentum on offense in the final 24 minutes.
Continued progress, especially among younger players, is the goal for Halatin as the season goes forward. However, with roughly seven games under its belt, the Lobos “have to be confident in what we do” and trust the system, Halatin said.
While there are bright spots, Halatin said he aims to keep his players from complacency.
“I don’t want them to be okay with turning the corner. It has got to happen on the end of game stuff,” Halatin said. “Closing the gap is nice to hear and it shows the girls are really working.”
