Second-quarter run propels Lady Eagles past Lady Badgers
Killeen Ellison 49, Lampasas 39
By JEREMY HEATH Staff Writer

PHOTO BY GABE WOLF LHS senior guard Jennifer Howard takes an outside route to the glass for a fourth-period bucket in the Lady Badgers' 49- 39 home loss to Killeen Ellison on Tuesday.

Killeen Ellison didn't take its first lead of the night until just three minutes remained in the half, but the Lady Eagles never surrendered that lead in their 49-39 win over the Lady Badgers Tuesday night at Bozarth-Fowler Gymnasium.

EHS 49, LHS 39

Records Lampasas is 1-4, Ellison is 5-5.

Impact

The Lady Badgers have dropped four straight after beating Hamilton to open the season.

Key Stat

The Lady Eagles outscored the Lady Badgers 15-6 in the second quarter to lead 23-18 at the half.

Key Play

Alisha Jones' bucket that pulled the Lady Eagles within 12-10 sparked a 14-4 Ellison run in which Jones scored eight points.

Up Next

Lampasas at Kennedale Tournament

Friday and Saturday.

The Lady Badgers (1-4) have lost four straight and will try to stop the streak at the Kennedale Tournament on Friday and Saturday.

Ellison's Alisha Jones scored eight of her 17 total points in the second period, including the buckets that gave the Lady Eagles a 16- 14 lead and an 18-14 lead.

Lampasas had leads of 10-6 and 12-8 in the first period behind hot early shooting. Senior guards Michelle Benton and Casey O'Connor each deposited 3-pointers in the first period, and Sarah Bishop connected on a pull-up jumper in the closing seconds of the quarter.

The shooting cooled dramatically after that, as the Lady Badgers failed to connect on several open jumpers and missed 8 of 15 free throws.

"The free throws were very important," LHS Coach Mitzi Lancaster said. "If we make the majority of our free throws, it's a different game. We played the pace we want to play to compete with Ellison, but we missed some easy shots and free throws, and gave up more layups than I would have liked. The effort was there, but the execution wasn't."

Senior post Latoscha Sherman scored 11 points on the night for LHS, and sophomore post Bishop added eight, but the Lady Eagles had clear lanes to the glass and didn't have to apply much pressure outside to force missed shots.

"We've got to get more from our post players inside, and our guards have got to start hitting their shots," Lancaster said. "We've got to come together as a team, and I have no doubt we will."

Senior LHS guard Jennifer Howard scored each of her five points in the fourth quarter after having a shot waved off to close the third period. Howard appeared to hit a jumper that would have pulled the Lady Badgers within 35-28, but the official ruled the ball did not leave her hand until after the buzzer sounded. After Ellison's Leslie Telles opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, the potential 35-28 deficit became 38- 28, a lead which was never threatened by the Lady Badgers. LHS 9th 51, Ellison 27: The Lady Badgers took a 13-4 firstquarter lead only to watch the Lady Badgers dominate the rest of the game in a decisive victory.

The Lady Eagles, who won the championship at the Killeen Shoemaker Tournament last weekend, ran their record to 8-0 with the win. LHS was so hot at one point, it went on a 19-0 run to close out the first half.

Jennifer Herron scored 17 points, and Fallon Holland and Marisa Bogart each added 10.

"Aggressive defense, unselfish play and timely shots on offense were the key to our girls getting their eighth win," Coach Jimmie Cain said.