Ending a season calls for reflection. Thoughts can turn to where things went right or wrong, but for teams fighting for a playoff spot, those thoughts get put on hold. The time to consider success or failure must wait until the final buzzer sounds in the last contest. Win, and you are in. Lose, and the time to ask “what if?” begins in earnest.
The Wimberley High School Lady Texans knew they had to win on Parent Recognition Night last Tuesday, Feb. 7.
Without seniors on the team to celebrate, they paraded onto the court recognizing their parents and siblings before getting to work against the visiting Canyon Lake High School Hawks.
“We had to have a postseason mentality even going into tonight’s game,” commented head coach Caleb Hall. “At this point, it’s lose, and go home. Before the game, we talked about the phrase we need to carry with us for this third season — love and hustle. Continue to encourage one another and continue to push each other.”
“Basketball season is long and it’s a physical sport,” he continued. “Even though they’re young, I’ve been proud of the maturity this team showed. They work hard with and for each other.”
The Lady Texans came out on fire, playing like they wanted to put the game away early. Campbell Woodward posted seven points on her way to a team leading 22 for the night. Lily Dela Rosa and Kylie Garner added five apiece, and Laney Hennessee put up four to total 21 to the Hawk’s 11. “A big shout out goes to Kylie Garner who stepped into a starting role and did a great job. She finished the game with nine points and started the first quarter strong. I was really happy to see that,” commended Hall. “Cameron Thames came off the bench and made things happen on offense,” he added. “She got to the rim, forced defensive rotations, found the open player and distributed the ball — really solid performance for her.”
Led by Woodward’s 10 points, the Lady Texans stormed the court in the second period scoring 16. The defense played strong and held the Hawks to single digits (seven). Hall’s team took a 37-18 lead into the locker room at the half.
With the lead secure, Hall knew that getting playing time for his bench in a playoff game atmosphere was a necessity.
“These girls need to know they can be counted on, that they are able to step into pressure situations without a dropoff in play or expectations,” commented Hall. “Holland (Wyatt) is playing phenomenally right now. She’s getting on the court and has been a solid presence in the post.”
Wyatt impacted the game dramatically, especially in the fourth quarter, scoring eight points including clutch free throws at the end of the game to push the score to 71. Hennessee finished with a double-double (12 points, 12 rebounds) as did Woodward (22 points, 10 rebounds.) Dela Rosa finished with 10 points but played a bigger role in ball handling and distribution.
“Lily did a great job at the point tonight. She exhibited great vision with a handful of assists to go with 10 points,” Hall said. “She can both facilitate scoring and she can score. She did both in this game, and I’m really proud of the way she played as a point guard tonight.”
The scoring dipped for the Lady Texans in the third quarter (14) yet the defense came up big, holding the Hawks to 10 points. Hall’s team carried that momentum in the fourth scoring 20 points and allowing only 12. The final score was a big 71-40 win for the home team.
“Tonight was the epitome of love and hustle. They shared the basketball, you could tell that they were playing for each other, not just with each other but for each other,” shared Hall. “It was great to see their teamwork. I’d bet we had season high assists tonight.”
By beating Canyon Lake, the Lady Texans earned a spot in a Friday, Feb. 17 play-in game against Davenport High School with a playoff spot on the line. The teams split the district meetings and stood tied for fourth place in district play.
“We really showed up Friday. Once we settled in, the girls played strong, and the defense played tough,” Hall. “We weren’t showing much patience on offense, but [we] settled in after the first couple of buckets.”
The Wolves shot 18% from the field on 10 of 56 shooting — including three of 22 three-pointers — and added 12 free throws for a combined 35 points in the contest. The Lady Texan defense kept Davenport in single digits for the first three quarters, allowing only seven each quarter.
Offensively, Hall’s team saw four players reach double digits in scoring. Woodward and Dela Rosa led the Lady Texans with 16 apiece with Hennessee dropping 10. Baylee Gold had an offensive breakout with 12 points on 83% shooting.
“Baylee had a huge night on offense. She was consistent all night then went on a tear in the fourth quarter,” shared Hall “Kylie brought some needed momentum in the first, driving the lane and drawing fouls from their best players. Cameron and Laney stepped up big defensively in the third when we got in foul trouble.”
Dela Rosa added seven rebounds and five assists to a defensive effort that included eight deflections and eight steals.
“Lily played outstanding, both on offense and defense,” said Hall. “She played the point with great composure and skill tonight.”
The win vaulted the Lady Texans into a Monday, Feb. 13 matchup with the LaVernia High School Bears in the first round of the playoffs.
