Richardson shining for Lady Wildcats

El Dorado’s girls are fighting for their season. The Lady Wildcats will face three of the top four teams in the conference to end the season, beginning tonight with first place Lake Hamilton.

Senior guard Tasia Richardson, who scored the game-winning basket in El Dorado’s 50-49 win at Lake Hamilton on Jan. 18, has given an emotional spark down the stretch.

“Tasia has a bum ankle,” said El Dorado coach Destinee Rogers. “She’s pushing through it. It’s tough for a sprained ankle to heal if you don’t get much rest. Right now, there’s no rest time.”

Lake Hamilton plays a guard-oriented offense. For the Lady Wildcats, who don’t have a lot

of backcourt depth, every available guard will be called upon.

For Richardson, the healing process will have to wait.

“She’s a senior. She don’t want her season to be done. She’s fighting. I know, without a doubt, she’s going to give it her all, regardless of an injury,” said Rogers.

“She’s going to get out there and she’s going to do what she can do. She’s going to fight through it and then she’s going to say, ‘Hey Coach, I need to get in the ice bath after the game.’

“But, she’s going to sacrifice herself. She’s going to sacrifice for her teammates.”

Rogers said Richardson has been doing extra rehabilitation in order to stay on the court.

“There’s a place called Elite3 that has been doing a treatment for Tasia. It’s definitely helped. Without that treatment, she wouldn’t be playing, right now,” Rogers said.

“It’s an ozone treatment. Basically, she sits in a box and it heats her up. It induces a fever, which will help with the inflammation in your body.

“It fights the inflammation in your body. Without the treatment from Elite3, she wouldn’t even be playing, right now. We definitely appreciate the support we’re getting from Elite3.”

For the Lady Wildcats, these final three games will make or break the season. Win or lose, Rogers said she’s proud of the grit her team has shown.

“It’s the same thing with Diamond Hawthorne. She’s not hurt, right now. But, she’s playing about as good as she’s played. She’s sacrificed a lot. She’s playing defense. She’s rebounding. These kids are fighting,” said the coach.

“They don’t want their senior year to end the way it ended last year. They want to go to state and they want to try to make a run in state. If I’m a betting woman, I’m going to bet they’re going to come fight with their life.”