Waller — The Hays Lady Rebels had to feel a bit tried and tested after Friday night’s Class 4A area playoff game against Beaumont-Central.
And while the Lady Rebels were able to extend their playoff trek another round, the Hays girls had to scrap and scrounge against the Lady Jaguars in a the match between two teams ranked in Class 4A’s Top 20.It was quite a gritty test for the Lady Rebels, who held on for a 58-52 win.
Strong runs at the end of the second and at the beginning of the fourth quarters allowed Hays to keep its hopes of returning to the state tournament alive. Hays erased a nine-point lead to two going into halftime thanks to a 7-0 run in the final two minutes of the second quarter, and then went on 10-0 run at the start of the fourth to secure the victory.
The Lady Jaguars took a 43-40 lead when Kyniddia Purdy nailed a 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter before the Lady Rebels answered with their winning surge.
Hays guard Angeleigh Davis scored six points during the run, but it was Paige Lord’s defensive play and ability to hustle down the court which made the biggest difference during the span. Lord came through with two key blocks and scored a pair of transition baskets that put Hays up 50-43 with 3:23 remaining. The Lady Jags were able to cut the Lady Rebels’ lead to 55-51 with 30 seconds left, but Ashley Rankine stepped up and drained a pair of free throws to quell the threat with 13 ticks on the clock.
Kaitlyn Barnes threw in the final point when Central was forced to foul, giving the Lady Rebels the final 58-52 score.
Davis led the Lady Rebels with 17 points, while Brooke Borreson had a strong first half and finished with 12 points. Rankine came through with 10, while all of Lord’s points came in the fourth quarter.
Purdy led Central with 13 points.
Hays advances to face Huntsville in the regional quarterfinals at a date and time to be determined.
For quotes, stats and photos from Friday's game, pick up a print edition Sunday's San Marcos Daily Record.
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