With the win, the Lady Lions (16-17, 3-3) own a two-game lead over fourth-place Mineral Wells (12-18, 1-5) – and the tiebreaker via the district sweep – and also own a three-game edge over fifth-place Graham (2-20, 0-5) – which lost to No. 9 Stephenville (28-3, 5-1) by a 35-9 count Friday – with a pair of games remaining.
“That was a goal we set this year with a young team, to put ourselves in position to make the playoffs,” Hohertz said. “Tonight might not have been pretty, but this time of year it doesn’t matter as long as you win. We got the job done and I couldn’t be prouder of this group of young girls.”
Hannah Deen led the way for Brownwood with 12 points, including the first seven of the game and all six in the first period of the Lady Lions. Kassidy Wooten, Sidney Windham and Mady Pyle added six points each, Icess Hall chipped in four, Kimber Green and Miranda Northcutt finished with two each, and Talasia Green sank a free throw.
“If they’re going to take away Kimber and Mady, Hannah is athletic and can get to the basket whether it’s a guard on her or a post player guarding her,” Hohertz said. “That’s what kept us in the game the first half and in the second half they figured out they couldn’t take away those two and leave Hannah open, so it was good for us that she attacked the basket early.”
Brownwood converted 29 percent (12 of 42) of its shots, but just 12 percent (2 of 16) of its treys while sinking 55 percent (13 of 23) of it free throws. The Lady Lions turned the ball over 13 times while forcing 24 Mineral Wells turnovers, including 15 on steals. Brownwood also finished with 19 rebounds and eight assists.
Trailing 29-25 early in the fourth period, Brownwood went on to score the final 14 points and held Mineral Wells scoreless over the last 6:55 of the contest.
After Kate Bradshaw – who led all scorers with 13 points – scored Mineral Wells’ final points of the night, a bucket by Windham and a free throw from Wooten brought the Lady Lions within a point, 29-28, with 4:57 remaining.
Then, at the 4:40 mark, Deen knocked down just the second – and last – three-pointer of the contest of Brownwood, putting the Lady Lions in front for good, 31-29.
Windham followed with another bucket at the 3:28 mark, then the Lady Lions capitalized on a pair of technical foul calls against a frustrated Mineral Wells squad as Brownwood’s final six points came from Pyle at the free throw line.
“We had to adjust with some man there when we got behind and created a couple of steals there,” Hohertz said. “Then we got back to our zone to take way (Bradshaw) in the high post, which we busted earlier in the game.”
Tied at 6 after one quarter, Brownwood took a 16-14 lead into the locker room at halftime. Leading 20-17 at the 6:11 mark of the third period after a pair of Windham free throws, the Lady Lions went scoreless over the next 5:05 which allowed Mineral Wells to snatch a 25-20 advantage. Brownwood answered with two free throws from Windham and the first trey of the game from Wooten to knot the score at 25, but Mineral Wells answered to carry a 27-25 edge into the final period.
“We talked about how they were going to run a box and one or run a triangle and two to keep Kimber and Mady from scoring,” Hohertz said. “They tried to force it a little bit instead of letting everyone else around them make the play. But we finally adjusted, went to a man to man in the fourth quarter and got some pressure and some steals and were able to open it up after that.”
The Lady Lions will head to Graham at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday then wrap up the regular season at home against Stephenville at 5:45 p.m. Friday.
