Leading by 14 at halftime, the Lady Tigers defeated Dora by three in the opening round of the Thayer Winter Classic on Monday for their fifth win of the season.
Houston came ready to play, jumping out to an 18-8 lead at the end of the first quarter, thanks to a combined effort of the starters – who each contributed points. The defense also managed to keep Dora’s sophomore guard Kinley Luna quiet, only scoring 2 points – both from the free-throw line.
By halftime, Houston led 35-21, with senior forward Sophia Crites and junior forward Gracyn McNiell contributing 11 and 10 points, respectively.
“We played a great first half of Tiger basketball,” said HHS head coach Micah Lee.
However, the second half wouldn’t go as planned, with McNiell’s three fouls forcing her to sit on the bench for most of the third quarter. Luna took advantage of Houston’s mistakes and turnovers, pouring in 13 points and leveling the score at 42 heading into the fourth quarter.
“The second half should have been the exact same way [as the first half], but we came out making some mistakes and turnovers that allowed Dora to bring it back and tie the game,” said Lee.
With McNiell back on defense in the fourth quarter and Crites adding 9 points to her total, the Lady Tigers managed to keep the game close.
Down late, senior guard Lacey Cavaness hit a 3-pointer and converted a turnover into a layup that sealed Houston’s victory – 58-55.
Crites finished the game with 22 points, with Cavaness and McNiell adding 14 and 13, respectively. Luna finished with a game-high 29 points.
“Sophie had the kind of night we needed to continue to fight,” said Lee. “She really stepped up on both ends and was a big leader to the team.
“The late 3-pointer by Lacey allowed us to regain the game at the very end, and we were able to pull just enough ahead to get the win.”
Houston (5-9; 1-1 SCA) plays Thayer at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 23 in the semifinals of the Thayer Winter Classic. The next home game is Monday, Feb. 3 against Thayer. A rescheduled Liberty Legends shootout game against Naylor will now take place Saturday, Feb. 8 against Couch. A previously postponed game against Willow Springs has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 18.
