Behind a career-high scoring performance from senior guard Lacey Cavaness, the Houston High School girls basketball team won at Salem on Monday, Jan. 13.
The visiting Lady Tigers scored early and often, mounting a 22-4 lead at the end of the first quarter, with Cavaness contributing 11 of those points.
At the half, Houston kept Salem quiet, leading 32-18, and not allowing a single point for junior Addison Fulton. However, Fulton would respond in the second half, pouring in 19 points.
The scoring wasn’t enough though, as Cavaness finished the game with 31 points, including 5 3-pointers. That was enough to give Houston a 65-41 victory, and a South Central Association conference win.
“It was great to start our first conference game with a win,” said HHS head coach Micah Lee. “It’s a huge motivator for the team.”
Despite the victory, the team did struggle with fouls, with sophomore Summer Seago fouling out and three other players committing four personal fouls.
“We did get in some foul trouble tonight, which caused us to have to decrease our tempo,” said Lee. “We made up for that on the offensive side.”
To help with Cavaness’ performance, junior Gracyn McNiell tacked on 14 points and Seago added 6, but the spotlight was on the senior guard.
“Lacey had a huge night,” said Lee. “She’s been putting in a lot of extra work during our extended break and you can tell it’s definitely paid off. All in all, it was a great way to start the new year.”
A game against Willow Springs scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 9 was postponed due to weather. One scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 11 against Naylor in the Liberty Legends Shootout was postponed to Feb. 8.
The Lady Tigers (4-8; 1-0 SCA) play Mountain Grove on Thursday (Jan. 16) at Tiger Fieldhouse. The team will compete in the Thayer Winter Classic, which begins Monday, Jan. 20.
To view a gallery of photos from the game, click here.