Although there were some offensive lulls in the middle two quarters, the Ladycats maintained a comfortable lead and exerted their impressive team chemistry, playmaking, and defensive prowess routinely.
“The start was phenomenal,” Ladycats head coach Donnie Ott said. “We got out 20-2 and then we just kind of got in a little rut in the second and third quarters where there was no energy. We just need to learn how to better generate energy. We can’t have a lull in a playoff game like we did in those quarters and we need to continue to play well regardless of the atmosphere and things we can’t control.”
Aledo’s lead grew to 30-6 after a Jaylee Owens 3-pointer at the 2:14 mark of the second quarter and did not score until the midpoint of the third quarter, but the Ladycats closed the quarter strong and performed well in the fourth quarter.
“It was good to see them get back on track,” Ott said. “The thing that concerned me in those timeouts earlier was they were beating us up on the boards. They were getting too many second-shot opportunities, and that’s where we’ve got to do a better job of finishing the possession… We gave up eight or nine offensive boards in the first half alone, and then we started off the third quarter with six turnovers, so we’ve got to clean some things up.”
Players and coaches alike were on the same page in that front.
“We’re just going to have to play with a lot more energy,” senior standout Elizabeth Griffin said. “We’re going to have to keep the energy going into the second half without a drop off. Still, it gives us a lot of confidence to win games like this, which will carry over into the next game.”
Owens scored five more points in the third quarter to keep the lead at or above 20 points while star seniors Griffin and Tiara Butler connected for a long outlet pass that resulted in a Butler layup to the delight of the crowd. Aledo entered the fourth quarter with a 39-17 advantage and Ott emptied the bench with a little more than two minutes left in the fourth quarter with a 46-17 lead.
Butler led Aledo with 13 points while Griffin and Brooklyn Dempsey scored nine points apiece. Owens contributed with eight points, Kate Jackson added seven and Kennedy Cardenas finished with two.
Now, Aledo has its sights set on the next postseason match but is keeping the ultimate goal in mind.
“We know there’s five more games we have to win – the goal is always state,” Griffin said. “We’re just looking at the next game and saying they’re going to be a lot tougher.”
Next, the Ladycats move on to the area round where they were scheduled to face off against the Joshua Lady Owls at 6 p.m. Thursday at Godley High School, and the team was eager to get over the second-round hump in order to continue facing off against strong foes.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun because it’s a new challenge,” Griffin said. “If you go into a game, knowing that we get to overcome new obstacles, I think that just gives us a lot of energy. We know we can compete with those types of teams, especially because we competed against those types of teams in the McDonald’s Tournament we went to.”
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