Lady Mustangs Advance To Area Championship
Monday, February 20th, 2012
CENTRAL HEIGHTS – Slocum senior Cristina Wickersham came up big when her Lady Mustangs needed her, as the post recorded a double-double in Slocum’s 47-39 win over West Sabine on Tuesday night. Slocum led by six at the half, but saw their lead dwindle to just one point going into the fourth quarter.
After spending most of the night faced with a sluggish offense, the Lady Mustangs would eventually catch fire in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Lady Tigers 19-12 in the final frame to pull away for a win in their playoff opener.
Freshman Landry Lane would impress in her playoff debut, as the young guard would lead the Lady ‘Stangs with 13 points on the night. However it was Wickersham’s 10 points and 11 rebounds that were integral to the Lady Mustangs Bi-District win.
Slocum would find themselves getting off to a slow start on the offensive end, as nerves looked to be a factor for many of the young Lady Mustangs. That didn’t seem to affect the defense, which clamped down on the Lady Tigers, holding them to just four points in the opening quarter. Slocum would be able to muster the offense needed to top that mark and carry an 8-4 lead into the second quarter.
While the offense would run more efficiently in the second quarter, West Sabine would also pick up the pace. Hanging with the Lady Mustangs throughout most of the quarter, the Lady Tigers would eventually see the deficit slip to six points at the halftime break.
West Sabine would make their move in the third quarter. After trailing 19-13 at the half, the Lady Tigers would come out strong and begin to pressure the Lady ‘Stangs. West Sabine would outscore Slocum 14-9 in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to one going into the fourth quarter.
The Lady Mustangs veteran leadership would take over in the fourth quarter with Wickersham and Brice Sizemore taking the reins of the offense. Along with solid play from Valerie Larkin, the Lady Mustangs would jump ahead of the Lady Tigers early, outscoring West Sabine 19-12 in the final quarter to pull away and seal the 47-39 victory.
The win propels the Lady Mustangs into the Area Championship, where they will face the Tenaha Lady Tigers for the second straight year. Last year the Lady Mustangs sent Tenaha packing with a 46-35 win in the Area Championship. The Lady Tigers, who have now won four straight district titles, will look to break a three-game losing streak to district 23-1A, as Grapeland disposed of the Lady Tigers in 2010 and 2009.
The Area Championship was played at Central Heights HS on Friday night. Results for that game were unavailable as of press time. The winner will move on to face either Zavalla or Cushing in the Region III Quarterfinals on Tuesday night. Slocum has already faced Cushing this year, defeating the Gal ‘Cats 56-30 in the second round of the Slocum Hoopfest.
For pictures and a complete recap of the Lady Mustangs Area Championship game, as well as other area basketball news, check back in The Messenger. Also follow The Messenger on Facebook and check out our website at www.messenger-news.com for the latest news and notes from area playoff action. Chris Boothe can be reached at cboothe@messsenger-news.com.
