Houston senior Kynlee Weaver, right, fights for possession of a loose ball during the Lady Tigers' season opener Tuesday night. HHS rallied for a 55-49 overtime win over Fordland in the opening round of the Fordland Invitational. (Jeff McNiell | Houston Herald)
The Houston girls basketball team found a way to lead when it mattered most.
The Lady Tigers rallied to force overtime Tuesday in their season opener and topped Fordland 55-49 in the first round of the Fordland Invitational.
No. 4 HHS (1-0) will play top-seeded Greenwood (4-0) at 7 p.m. Thursday in the semifinals.
“They fought the entire game. They continued to push,” said Lady Tigers coach Micah Lee. “It means everything to start the season with this win because it puts everything into perspective of what they’re capable of.”
The Lady Tigers trailed the entire game until senior Ashley Gilbert made a jumper from the left baseline with 10 seconds remaining in regulation. Gilbert also had a basket in overtime as the Lady Tigers outscored Fordland 9-3.Freshman Millie Manier debuted with a team-high 24 points to lead HHS. She made three 3-pointers, including one from the right wing early in overtime to give the Lady Tigers their first lead, and had multiple steals and transition layups. “She’s aggressive, fast and knows the floor really well,” Lee said. “For her to come out with that confidence — it’s exactly what we’ve been preparing for her to do.”Houston had a big advantage at the free-throw line, going 14-for-20 while Fordland was 6-for-10. Senior Gracyn McNiell was 7-for-8 at the line as part of her nine points.
