Como-Pickton Lady Eagles continue to roll in district play
It’s been a great start to the season for the Como-Pickton Lady Eagles, a team who so far has exceeded preseason expectations. Despite being picked to finish fourth and steal the final playoff spot in District 15-2A by TABC, they had a strong pre-district run, going 10-4 and entering district with a ton of momentum.
Since then, things have only continued to look up for the Lady Eagles, as they are off to a 4-1 start in district play and currently tied with Alba-Golden for second place in district. Even then, Como-Pickton would have the upper-hand, as they took Alba-Golden down by a final score of 47-36 in the district opener.
Here’s a quick look at how Como-Pickton has played since the calendar has flipped to 2023.
Como-Pickton @ Cooper, Jan. 3
The Lady Eagles had their work cut out for them in the opening game of the new calendar year, as they were tasked to traveling to Cooper to face the Lady Bulldogs. Cooper was predicted to finish second in the district, but have exceeded all expectations, racking up a record of 18-10 and 5-0 in district play so far.
The game opened exactly how the Lady Eagles were hoping, with a low scoring affair. If Como-Pickton could prevent Cooper from finding a rhythm offensively they would be in good shape, which is exactly what they did in the opening frame, allowing the Lady Bulldogs to score just three points.
Unfortunately, Cooper would go on to dominate the remainder of the game, outscoring Como-Pickton 34-11 in the second half, in route to a 51-27 victory. Mattison Buster was the lone Lady Eagle to finish in double-digits, putting up an impressive 16 points.
Other scorers included Addi Monk with nine points, Lauren Lewellen and Bella Romero who each had five points, as well as Sanay Diaz who had three points and Bailey Neal who had two points.
Como-Pickton vs Boles, Jan. 6
After a difficult match against Cooper, the Lady Eagles were set to face Quinlan Boles, the preseason pick to win the district. While this may have looked like a tough break on paper, the Lady Eagles were eager to prove themselves against a top team, and to get back into the win column.
The Lady Eagles got off to yet another hot start, this time getting out to a 21-11 lead at the end of the first half. Boles put up a tougher fight in the second half, and began to chip away at Como-Pickton’s lead, but Coach Joe Garcia and his Lady Eagles never folded.
While Boles was able to get it within five points, the Lady Eagles ultimately held on and picked up the win by a score of 39-34. This time around it was Monk leading the way, finishing with 14 points.
Lewellen and Maggie Brown were right behind her, scoring nine points and eight points respectively. Other scorers were Buster with four points and Cali Morris with two points.
Como-Pickton @ Fruitvale, Jan. 10
After bouncing back into the win column and improving to 3-1 in district play, the Lady Eagles were once again on the road, this time to face Frutitvale. While Fruitvale wasn’t predicted to make the playoffs in the preseason, Como-Pickton knew they had to stay focused and pick up another district win.
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The Lady Eagles were consistent against Fruitvale, opening the game on a strong start and keeping it going the entire way. Como-Pickton outscored Fruitvale 13-8 in each of the first two quarters, taking a 26-16 lead by the end of the first half.
The second half started with more of the same, as Como-Pickton added another three points to their lead, outscoring Frutivale 13-10 in the frame. Though the scoring slowed down a bit in the final frame, Como-Pickton was able to cruise to a 49-39 victory.
Monk was once again the leading scorer, this time with an impressive 21-point outing. Buster also had a great game, scoring 16 points and bumping up her season average.
Lewellen added another six points for the Lady Eagles, while Morris and Diaz each had three points. The 10-point victory improved Como-Pickton’s record to 17-8 on the year and 4-1 in district play.
The district standings are tight right now, though the Lady Eagles put themselves in great position. Sitting at the top of the district is Cooper, who is still a perfect 5-0.
As previously mentioned, Como-Pickton and Alba-Golden are right behind them, each at 4-1, though the Lady Eagles currently hold the tiebreaker over them. In the fourth and final playoff position at the moment is Boles, who is 3-3 in district play.
At the bottom of the district are Cumby and Fruitvale at 1-4, with North Hopkins in last at 0-5.
So far through district play, Monk has been fantastic for Como-Pickton, averaging 18 points per game, along with nine rebounds. She’s also dishing out just shy of three assists per game, and swatting almost two blocks per game.
While no other player for the Lady Eagles is averaging in double-digits, both Buster and Lewellen are putting up impressive numbers. For the entire season, Buster is averaging 7.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game.
In district play it’s Lewellen who is the second leading scorer, putting up six points per game. She also leads the team by shooting 66.7% from the free throw line.
Another impressive stat is how well Como-Pickton has shared the ball in district play. Brown, Morris, Monk and Buster are each averaging over two assists per game, while Romero is right behind them with 1.7 assists per game.
If the Lady Eagles can continue to play at this level, they should be in great shape in the back half of district play and they could clinch a playoff berth sooner rather than later. They will resume action Friday, with a home game against North Hopkins. Stay tuned to Front Porch News for further coverage of the Como-Pickton Lady Eagles.
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