Scrappy Lake Hamilton defense key in win over Lady Razorbacks
PEARCY — There is only one way to describe the game between the Texarkana and Lake Hamilton girls basketball teams Tuesday: physical.
Although both teams matched each other physically, the Lady Wolves dominated the Lady Razorbacks 60-20 on the scoreboard with senior Brooklynn Braughton leading the Wolfpack just as she did last season.
Head coach Blake Condley’s squad was relentless defensively. Condley said it was a physical game.
“We want to take the physicality to the other team,” he said. “We want to kind of set the tone for that pressure, aggressive intensity on defense. The offense stuff we feel like it takes care of itself. That is what we have got to be able to bring every night is intensity on the defensive side.”
This Lady Wolves (8-5) team looks much different from last year’s Lady Wolves at this point in the season. Condley talked about the turnaround his team has made over the course of a season.
“The majority of our team this year are sophomores,” Condley said. “We have got four upperclassmen and six sophomores. It is just us trying to find our roles, find our chemistry and it is still a work in progress. We are hoping to get it figured out by the end of February and hopefully get to play in March.”
Braughton and sophomore Braylee Winfrey opened up the game for Lake Hamilton, draining a pair of 3-point shots in the opening minute.
Despite a clear height advantage for Texarkana, the 1-3-1 defense for the Lady Wolves was all over the Lady Razorbacks, forcing head coach Jim Elser to take an early timeout to regroup down 8-2 with 5:39 to go in the first quarter.
The first quarter score was 22-9 in favor of the Lady Wolves after multiple turnovers.
The Lady Razorbacks, despite being down 24-10 late in the second quarter, were all over the floor defensively, diving for balls and fighting for rebounds.
Transitional points hurt the Lady Razorbacks the most. Winfrey snagged her fourth rebound and hit the outlet pass to sophomore Hayley Ferguson for the easy bucket. The score was 32-10 with 2:45 to play in the opening half.
Condley said Lake Hamilton’s games leading up to this were also physical.
“I feel like our girls were prepared for that,” Condley said. “We have been in a lot of physical games so far this season. I think our girls are adjusted to it and actually kind of used to it now.”
The halftime score from Wolf Arena was 36-10 with Lady Wolves leading.
The second half started the same as the first began with Braughton draining a 3-point shot. The Lady Wolves as a team made seven 3-point baskets.
Texarkana did not make a 3-pointer in the game Tuesday. Sophomore Addison Girley led the Lady Razorbacks with six points and three rebounds.
At the end of the third quarter, the score was 50-14 and the clock rolled continuously in the fourth quarter of play.
NEXT UP
The Lady Wolves travel to 5A-South conference rival Sheridan (9-3) Friday.
Condley said this team is special.
“I really like this group and the more they learn the better they get. Hopefully, we can just keep learning and improving as we go through the season,” Condley said.
IMPACT PLAYER
Braughton scored 17 points and accounted for seven of Texarkana’s turnovers.
Condley was asked how Braughton finds the energy to be so competitive for an entire game.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” he said. “I will say that is all I have ever seen her do. That is just what she does, and we will take it.
“She is going to give us everything she has got. She is going to play hard. The referee tonight, one of them looked at her and was like, ‘11, I feel like you might need to calm down.’ I think they were worried she might get hurt or something. I was like, ‘Brooklynn, keep doing what you do.’ Because we all know that is just how hard she plays every time she steps out here.”