EARL WATT
• Leader & Times
The Lady Redskin defense dominated for three quarters to force a running clock against the Western Athletic Conference Garden City Lady Buffaloes, and the Lady Redskins cruised to a dominating win without scoring a single point in the fourth quarter, 49-32.
Garden City scored the first four points Tuesday, but the Lady Redskins finished the first quarter on an 18-4 run to take an 18-8 lead. After allowing the first four points, the Lady Redskins didn’t allow another point form Garden City four three-and-a-half minutes, and they forced another two-and-a-half minute drought to end the period.
The defense was even tougher in the second quarter, and Garden City standout KJ Pinchon managed to make two baskets in the period — the only two baskets for Garden City in the quarter, and the Lady Red offense continued to pour in the points to take a 35-12 halftime lead. Kylie Rhine had a three in the second quarter, and Zoey Torres knocked down her second three of the game before half.
The Lady Redskins continued to share the ball in the second half, and five different Lady Redskins scored in the third quarter.
While Liberal continued to expand the lead, the Lady Red defense forced the Lady Buffaloes to rely on Pinchon for points. Liberal only allowed six points in the third period, all by Pinchon, and the Lady Redskins expanded their lead to 49-18, enacting the running clock.
After dominating the Lady Buffaloes for three quarters, Liberal did not score in the fourth quarter. After the starters remained in the game early in the final period, Liberal coach Brandi Fowler started to make substitutions.
Thaylee Powers stood out for the Lady Buffaloes in the final quarter, knocking down all nine of her points on the night in the final period, and after only scoring 18 points in three quarters, Garden City added 14 in the fourth quarter for the 49-32 final.
Lewis led Liberal with 13 points. Zoey Torres had 10. Seven Lady Redskins scored in the win.
Pinchon scored 19 of Garden City’s 32 points, and Powers had nine. The rest of the team had four.
“It was all about defense for us and crashing the boards,” Fowler said. “The press was working well. The girls played good team defense in the half court. We got them out of positions, anticipated passes. It was a good team win tonight.”
Liberal (13-6) finishes the season by hosting Dodge City (1-18) tonight.
“It’s about us,” Fowler said. We get to play a WAC team we know well. We have a good scout on them. The girls know them well. We just have to be ready to run what we want to run and be confident that we make the right choices. We know we have to take care of business. We can’t take anyone for granted. We have a lot of respect for Coach Snodgrass and their program. They won’t be coming over here to lay down. We plan to do it on the defensive end and the glass.”
Liberal is currently sixth in the Class 6A West standings, but Topeka Washburn Rural (13-6) and Manhattan (13-6) play Friday, meaning one of them will have seven losses.
Liberal trails Wichita East 4.95-4.89 in the margin, and East has completed its season. A win by the Lady Redskins by seven or more will push the Lady Redskins above East in the finals standings. Combine that with the loser of the Rural-Manhattan game falling out of contention, and that means the Lady Redskins are in prime position to finish in the top four, which would mean the Lady Redskins would be able to host the first two rounds of the playoffs.
