The Whiteface Lady Lopes won a 41-38 overtime nail biter last Tuesday over the Sands Lady Stangs in the UIL Girls’ Class 1A High School Basketball Regional Quarterfinal Playoff at the Rip Griffin Center on the campus of Lubbock Christian University.
The defending state champion Lady Stangs, ranked fourth in class 1A by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, had forced the no. 13 Lady Lopes out of the tournament in the regional quarterfinal last season.
Whiteface trailed for much of the game, but a buzzer beating three point shot by Kylie Deavours put the game the game into overtime where the game came down to the wire.
The first quarter saw both teams playing strong defense.
Jaedyn Rector opened with a basket 30 seconds into the game, but the Lady Stangs tied the score on free throws 30 seconds later.
Tymmyah Olenga hit a freethrow, but Sands answered with a basket for a 4-3 lead with 4:42 left in the period.
Olenga put the Lady Lopes up 5-4 with a put back on the next possession, but a trey from Sands gave them a 7-5 lead.
Sands extended the lead by as much as six points in the second quarter, but Whiteface continued to battle back. The half ended with the Lady Stangs up 16-12.
The third period saw the defensive battle continue with Sands going up 18-14 at the six minute mark, but Whiteface coming back on two free throws and a basket from Emma Ayers to tie the score at 18.
Sands went up 21-18 on a trey at the 2:26 mark, but Whiteface came back with baskets from Deavours and Allison Martha to take a 22-21 lead at the end of three.
The Lady Stangs promptly tied the score at the beginning of the fourth quarter but led by no more than four points throughout the quarter.
Whiteface was within three, down 34-31 and in possession with just 20 seconds left when Coach Gary Simmons called the Lady Lopes’ last timeout.
The Lady Lopes held the ball to the last seconds, then passed to Deavours in the corner for a three-point attempt.
The shot went through, the buzzer sounded and the game went into overtime.
Whiteface took a 36-34 lead on a basket from Martha and carried a razor thin lead – often only one point – through the overtime, but it was enough as they were ahead by three when the game ended.
Martha led the Lady Lopes with 12 points. Ayers had 11. Olenga had 10. Deavours had six and Rector had two.