The Texas High Lady Tigers scraped by the Marshall Mavericks on Feb. 9 at the Tiger Center on senior night with a score of 45-41. This win was vital for the Lady Tigers’ chances of reaching to the playoffs.

“[The win] as really great because it tied us with Marshall and allowed us to play Marshall again Friday to break the tie,” senior Jessica Emerson said. “If we hadn’t have beaten Marshall, the season would’ve been over and we wouldn’t have gone to playoffs.”

Both teams struggled to score in the first quarter. Midway through the first, junior Grace Brooks sunk one of her two free throws to put the Lady TIgers on the board, trailing 2-1. By the end of the quarter, the teams were tied at four apiece.

The Lady TIgers pulled ahead during the second quarter. Towards the end of the second quarter, the Lady Tigers’ full court press defense clamped down the Mavericks and helped them gain an 18-7 lead by halftime.

“At first, we played slow,” Brooks said. “Sometimes, it takes a while to get pumped up, but once we do, we always get a good lead.”

In the third quarter, both teams were evenly matched. By the ending the Lady Tigers held a 32-19 lead over the Mavericks.

The Mavericks made a late push in the fourth quarter. Three minutes left in the game, they were within three point of the lead, trailing 38-35. However, they never got ny closer. With one minute left in the game, sophomore Blaire Bledsoe made two free throws to put the game out of reach with the score of 43-37. The game concluded with a score of 45-41.
“We’re a fast team,” Emerson said. “We rely on fast breaks, stealing the ball, playing strong defense. That’s how we win games.”