The Wimberley High School Lady Texan basketball team made big strides this season behind young leadership.
With no seniors, four juniors, a host of sophomores and a single freshmen, Coach Caleb Hall’s team had room to grow and opportunities to mature. They did not disappoint, earning a berth into the playoffs.
Going into the playoff matchup with LaVernia High School’s Bears last Monday, Feb. 13 at New Braunfels Canyon High School, the Lady Texans felt momentum on their side. The young ladies put a great game together against Davenport High School during the play-in game and looked to repeat the effort.
LaVernia had different ideas, putting defensive pressure on point guard Lily Dela Rosa, clamping down and trapping her in the fore court. The Bear defense kept her on the perimeter, limiting her ability to drive the lane and dish the ball to Campbell Woodward or Laney Hennessee. Cameron Thames (2,) Baylee Gold (5) and Woodward (6) scored Wimberley’s points in the first quarter as the Lady Texans fell behind 17-13 heading into the second.
“They had a plan for Lily. Since our offense runs through her moving the ball down the court, we stumbled coming out of the gate. We hung close early and I was pretty proud of our effort,” Hall shared. “La-Vernia came out more aggressive in the second quarter and began to pull away but the girls continued to fight. I can attest to their heart and drive. They tried really hard but LaVernia wasn’t missing shots which made it difficult to stay close.”
The Bears pulled away to a 15-point lead heading into the half, 39-24. Woodward led scoring in the second period with four followed by Hennessee (3,) Thames (2) and Kylie Garner (2.)
“I thought Kylie gave us some good minutes and played good defense. So did Laney. We were just flat and couldn’t put runs together while they were dropping three-pointers,” Hall said.
The second half defined the game. While the Lady Texans scored nine in the third quarter, the Bears dropped 14 with nine points from behind the arc. The fourth period was closer with LaVernia putting up 16 to the Lady Texans’ 13. Woodward led Wimberley scoring with 22. Garner had seven while Gold and Thames finished with six each.
The final score was 69-46, bringing the Lady Texan season to a close with a 25-13 record overall and fourth place in district with a 6-7 record.
