In the midst of a four-game skid with each loss by at least 20 points, playing without their leading scorer and rebounder for the second game in a row, and having slipped into a fourth-place tie in the District 6-4A girls basketball standings, Friday’s home finale for the Brownwood Lady Lions was the very definition of desperation mode.
And on Senior Night at Warren Gym, the Lady Lions came through with their most spirited effort of the season, sparked by an 18-1 run in the second half to stun the Gatesville Lady Hornets, 50-36, and regain control of fourth place in the league standings.
Trailing by double digits in the third period, the Brownwood Lady Lions went on a 20-0 run, then held off a late fourth-quarter rally to upend the TGCA No. 13 Lampasas Lady Badgers, 57-52, Friday night at Warren Gym in District 6-4A girls basketball action.
The Lady Lions (8-9, 1-1) were coming off a 36-32 loss to No. 6 Glen Rose in the district opener, a game in which Brownwood could not hold on to the lead in the fourth period.
“We dug ourselves a big hole there in the first half and we had to dig ourselves out,” said Lady Lions 12th-year head coach Heather Hohertz “I thought my girls responded really well to the adjustments we made coming out of the locker room. I had to get on to them a little bit to wake them up, but I thought they responded tremendously in the second half, and we brought it.”
Tessa Goodwin (20), pictured against Graham, led Brownwood with 15 points at Glen Rose. [File photo by Derrick Stuckly]
GLEN ROSE – Leading throughout much of the contest and carrying a one-point lead into the fourth quarter, the Brownwood Lady Lions were unable to complete their upset bid as the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches No. 6 Glen Rose Lady Tigers rallied for a 36-32 victory in Tuesday’s District 6-4A opener for both squads.
Glen Rose (18-1, 1-0) was limited to single digits in every quarter but the fourth, where the Lady Tigers outscored the Lady Lions (7-9, 1-1) by a 16-11 margin. Brownwood trailed 8-6 after one quarter but grabbed an 18-14 halftime edge.
The Brownwood Lady Lions are headed into the start of District 6-4A competition on a positive note, as they upended the Graham Lady Blues, 45-38, Wednesday afternoon in the pre-district finale.
“Our whole team was physical and that’s what I want to see,” said Lady Lions 12th-year head coach Heather Hohertz. “We were going to get rebounds, we were getting up off the ground and getting after it, we were exploding and getting to the rim, that’s how we have to play.”
Fresh off a 55-42 loss to Merkel Tuesday afternoon at the Brownwood Coliseum, the Lady Lions (7-8) buckled down against Graham (7-9). After yielding 16 points in the first quarter, Brownwood gave up just 19 the remainder of the contest.