Lady Cats pick up huge win at home Friday
The Sulphur Springs Lady Cats hosted Pittsburg Friday, looking to pick up a second consecutive district win. Friday’s match was an important one for the Lady Cats, as a win would all but clinch a playoff spot for Sulphur Springs.
The Lady Cats were hoping to have similar success to the first time they faced Pittsburg, when they picked up a 58-38 win on the road. Sulphur Springs was able to do exactly that, getting out to a very strong start in the opening frame.
Sulphur Springs used a similar tactic as they did in their most recent outing over Pleasant Grove, which was a full court press. They used to full court press to force a number of turnovers, turning it into points on the other end of the floor, building a strong 23-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter saw more of the same, as Sulphur Springs kept a firm grasp on their lead. While they did turn the ball over a bit more in the second frame, they continued to outscore Pittsburg at a solid rate, going into the locker room with a 36-14 lead at the end of the first half.
Knowing how much the game meant, the Lady Cats never let their foot off the gas in the second half, only allowing five points in the entire third quarter. Going into the fourth quarter with a 48-19 lead, the game was all but over before the final frame began.
While Pittsburg was able to score at their highest clip of the night, it was too late, as the Lady Cats were able to cruise to a 60-34 victory. “This was a big win for us,” Coach Jones said after the game.
“Our goal isn’t just to make the playoffs,” Jones added. “Of course that’s nice, but we want the best seeding we can possibly have.”
“If we’re playing basketball the way we are right now it’s going to be tough for anybody to beat us,” Jones said, while looking ahead at the final three games on their schedule. The win over Pittsburg gives his team a three-game lead over the fifth seed in the district, with just five games left to play, though he made it clear they are looking to continue to improve their position in the district race.
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Freshman Rainey Johnson was named the Slaughter’s BBQ Player of the Game, after a strong double-double. Johnson had 10 points and a very impressive 17 rebounds, nine of which were offensive rebounds.
Senior Addisyn Wall led the team in scoring, putting up 11 points and shooting 3-6 from behind the 3-point line. Wall also had a team-high five assists and forced one steal.
Sophomore Codee Roland was the other Lady Cat to finish in double-digit’s, putting up 10 points of her own. Roland was also able to grab seven rebounds and force a pair of steals, giving a ton of contribution off the bench.
Senior Kenzie Willis was next, adding nine points to the Lady Cats’ total. Willis had a game-high plus-minus of +30 in 29 minutes of action.
Behind Willis was Kyra Carter and Kaylee Carter, who combined for 12 points. The duo combined for 2-6 from behind the 3-point line, while Kyra had three steals and Kaylee had a pair of boards and a pair of assists.
The two other scorers for the Lady Cats were Aaliyah Cheatum and Trinity Jefferson, who each had four points. Trinity also had a great night defensively, leading the team with four steals, while also pulling in five rebounds.
The win pushes Sulphur Springs’ record to 21-7 on the year and puts them back over the .500 mark at 4-3 in district play. While the win doesn’t officially clinch a playoff berth, it all but does so, giving the Lady Cats’ a three-game lead over the fifth seed with just three games left to play.
Click here to see our full broadcast of the game.
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