Lady Mules vs. Childress
& Brownfield (2-16 & 20)
The Lady Mules may have
surprised everyone except themselves by gathering up two gold balls this past
week. The Childress Lady Cats are the District Champions of District 1-3A with
21 wins during the season and own a perfect 8-0 district run.
The Lady Mules had to chip
away at a Lady Cat lead most of the night but Conley Niblett took the ball half
way down the lane and drew the defense. She spun, fired a pass to Sadie Sudduth
open at the top of the key.
When the ball touched Sa.
Sudduth’s finger tips her feet left the floor and she launched a rainbow
3-pointer that struck gold. Only 14 seconds were left in the game as the ball
swished through the net. The shot gave the Lady Mules a 47-44 lead. Childress
was not able to answer before the final buzzer.
“What a great night for the
Lady Mules,” said Lady Mule coach Carey Sudduth. “These kids have been amazing
and have played so many close and heartbreaking games. They have hung together
and learned from those situations and it paid off tonight.”
“Our theme this week has been
to ‘play present.’ We have been emphasizing trying to play one possession at a
time. We can’t take back mistakes and we can’t do anything about the future.”
“Play only the possession
that is happening right now. You could see the kids talking to each other tonight
about those things.”
“We have not played much man
defense but it saved us tonight. We went to it in the final five minutes and
seemed to take them out of their rhythm. A great effort by our girls tonight
and we are very excited about moving on in the Playoffs.”
The Brownfield Lady Cubs had
defeated the Lady Mules in the first game of the season and had racked up an
impressive record of 24-11. The Cubs had defeated Alpine 50-19 for Bi-District.
Sa. Sudduth, Shanice Rosas
and Conley Niblett all fouled out Friday night in the double overtime
rough-and-tumble game. Dani Diaz, a Lady Mule senior, was not ready for the
season to end and put the game on her shoulders.
She made a driving lay up to
tie the game in regulation to force the OT. D. Diaz made both baskets for the
Lady Mules in the first overtime to keep the game tied. In what turned out to
be the final four minutes of the game, D. Diaz made eight-of-eight free throws
to clinch the 63-61 win for the Lady Mules second gold ball.
“Every girl in black
contributed to our win tonight over Brownfield,” continued Coach Sudduth after
the Area game. “They played like they are on a mission. We were not happy with
the way we were playing back in December but these kids have really turned
things around.”
The Lady Mules jumped in
front of Childress early but the Lady Cats came back to claim a 16-10 advantage
by the end of the opening period. Niblett made a free throw for the Lady Mules’
first point. She added two more charity tosses before the period ended.
Sa. Sudduth made a pair of
baskets and Sydnie Sudduth drove for a hoop. Yvonne Diaz was fouled shooting
and made a free throw.
The Lady Mules began to chip
away at the six point deficit in the second period. Sa. Sudduth made a jump
shot from inside the arc to start the second quarter. She later drove through
the defense for a lay up.
Niblett chipped in a free
throw and scored in the paint before the period ended. Sa. Sudduth beat the
buzzer with a baseline jumper. The Lady Mules had trimmed two points off the
Childress lead and trailed 23-19 at the half.
D. Diaz opened the third
period with a free throw and chipped in two more before the quarter ended.
Niblett continued to patrol the lane and made a free throw and a reverse lay up
before the quarter ended. Sa. Sudduth made a driving lay up to finish a fast
break. The Lady Mules had cut the Lady Cat lead to 29-27 with one period left
to play.
D. Diaz finished a fast break
just 18 seconds into the final frame to tie the game. Sa. Sudduth broke the tie
with a trey from the top of the key and later added a free throw.
Childress would not go away
and sank three 3-pointers in the final eight minutes and was six-of-seven from
the free throw line.
Y. Diaz put back an offensive
rebound and Sy. Sudduth drove for a hoop. Rosas scored from the blocks to give
the Lady Mules a brief 43-42 lead.
Sa. Sudduth led the Lady
Mules with 19 points. Niblett finished with 12 points and D. Diaz made all
seven of her points in the second half. Sy. Sudduth added four points, Rosas
two and Y. Diaz chipped in one.
The Cubs had taken a
one-point lead over the Lady Mules after one quarter. The Lady Mules exploded
for 19 points in the second period to claim a 31-23 lead over Brownfield. The
Cubs chipped away and tied the game at the end of regulation and stayed even
through one OT. Fouls took out three Lady Mules and four Cubs.
Niblett was fouled shooting
in the paint and made both from the charity line to open the Area game in
Littlefield. She added a hoop before the period ended. Sa. Sudduth hit a jumper
from the elbow and Sy. Sudduth made a pair of driving lay ups. D. Diaz was
fouled on a fast break and she made both free throws.
D. Diaz sank a 3-pointer from
the wing to open the second quarter. She added three from the charity line
before the half ended. Niblett scored twice from the blocks and chipped in a
free throw.
Niblett and D. Diaz got
assists after they passed to Y. Diaz working under the hoop. Sa. Sudduth made a
free throw and sank a trey from the top of the key. The Lady Mules had opened a
31-23 lead by the intermission.
The Cubs came roaring back
after the break and cut the Lady Mule lead to a single point by the time the
third period ended. Niblett opened the third quarter with hoop from the paint
and Y. Diaz put back an offensive rebound.
D. Diaz drove the left side
for a hoop and chipped in a free throw. The Lady Mules led 38-37 with eight
minutes left in regulation.
Sa. Sudduth made a free throw
to open the final quarter. Sy. Sudduth chipped in a pair from the charity line
and Rosas dropped in one freebie. D. Diaz took over the game and started with a
pair of free throws.
She nailed a 3-pointer to
give the Lady Mules a 45-42 lead with three minutes left in the game. D. Diaz
drove from the left side and kissed the ball off the glass to tie the game at
49-49 and keep the Lady Mules alive.
The Lady Mules screwed down
the defensive pressure in the overtime and held the Cubs to four points. D.
Diaz answered with two hoops to force a second OT.
D. Diaz set the tone for the
final overtime by making a pair of free throws. She went to the line three more
times and made both charity tosses every time. Y. Diaz dropped in one charity
toss and cleaned up the garbage with a put back.
D. Diaz went to the charity
line nine times and made 16 free throws. She also made two treys and four hoops
to lead the Lady Mules with 30 points. Niblett finished with 11 points and Y.
Diaz made nine points.
Sa. Sudduth dropped in seven
points and Sy. Sudduth added six points. Rosas chipped in one point.
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