By Elizabeth Tanner—
Stepping up their defensive prowess, the Lady Lopes drubbed both Hale Center and Ira this past week, securing a 3-0 season record, a considerable advancement from their previous season’s 1-2.
Coming off of last year’s 50-28 drop against Hale Center, the Lady Lopes dominated the Lady Owls 50-36 Monday with Jaylen Pittman and Briley Miller teaming up for 25 points, 13 rebounds and five steals.
“One of the main keys to winning against Hale Center was our defense,” Head Coach Jamie Jenkins said. “We were able to limit them to one-shot possessions which helped out a lot.”
Also chipping in on the Lady Lopes’ lead was Leah Moreno with eight points, Shayla Brown with nine rebounds and Marti Cruse with six steals and six assists.
“Laci Gonzales also played great on defense,” Jenkins said. “She stayed on Hale Center’s top offensive player all night.”
Securing their second on-the-road win Tuesday, the Lady Lopes conquered Ira 49-30 with Jacki Sanchez and Cruse racking up six rebounds each.
“We took care of the ball,” Jenkins said. “We only had eight turnovers the entire game. Getting stops at the defensive end also helped out a great deal.”
Leading scorers, aiding the Lady Lopes in overcoming last year’s 47-33 loss against Ira, included Miller with nine points, Gonzales with eight and Sanchez with nine. Pittman contributed nine rebounds followed by Marti Cruse with three assists and five steals.
“The Lady Lopes are working extremely hard during practice in order to get better,” Jenkins said. “They are a young team and still have a lot of work to do, but they are getting better every day.”
Next, the Lady Lopes are scheduled to play Olton at the Antelope Arena on Dec. 11 at 6:15 p.m.
