Our Lady Dragons showed no fear as they fought their way to the Championship agaisnt the Texas School for the Deaf. Despite a slow start, they managed to close the gap. At the end of the first quarter, the score was 5-11. After the first three minutes of the 2nd quarter, our Lady Dragons had a 5-0 run, bringing the score to 10-11. By halftime, we were only 1 point down, 17-18. The girls took their first lead in the third quarter. We effectively stopped Texas' fast breaks and inside paint shots. On offense, our girls fed inside and took mid-range shots. At the end of the third quarter, we led by 5 points, 29-24.
The fourth quarter was a back-and-forth battle. The Lady Rangers took the lead again, 31-32, after some bad turnovers. The Lady Dragons' determination and teamwork on defense led to a hard-fought victory. Key defensive plays included Kayla Debrow staying in the paint to block and rebound, Annabelle Abenchuchan denying their post player at the free-throw line, and Ivabella Essex, Hannah Alford, and Skylar Bergman working hard to defend the wings and corners.
Other key plays included Kayla making 3 out of 4 free throws, bringing the score to 34-32. Texas quickly scored 3 points, making it 34-35. Kayla then scored with a nice pass from Ivabella in transition, bringing the score to 36-35, but Texas found a way to score at the baseline, making it 36-37. Annabelle found Kayla open, and despite being quickly contained by three players, Kayla passed beautifully to Mariska Dize for the open shot, making it 38-37 with 1:08 remaining. The Lady Dragons defended fiercely and executed well under pressure to claim the Championship. With less than 21 seconds left, Hannah made three out of four free throws, ending the game at 41-37.
Kayla had the triple double with 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 blocks. She was named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player.
In the end of the tournament, the Lady Dragons' determination, passion, and teamwork led to victory. They showed what they are capable of and claimed the Championship with pride.
Stats:
Team Stats: 31.7% Field goal, 76.5% Free throw, 11 offensive rebounds, 17 defensive rebounds, 12 assists, 4 steals, 11 blocks, 21 turnovers
Individuals:
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Kayla Debrow: 19 pts, 15 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 11 blk (Triple Double)
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Hannah Alford: 10 pts, 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl
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Mariska Dize: 10 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast
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Skylar Bergman: 2 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast
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Annabelle Abenchuchan: 2 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl
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Ivabella Essex: 2 pts, 1 reb, 2 ast
Clerc Classic Results, Awards, and Records
Team: Championship (First time in school history!! First team to win the Clerc Classic in Mason Dixon Conference)
MVP: Kayla Debrow
All Tournament Team: Hannah Alford and Mariska Dize
Records:
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Individual - Girls
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Team - Girls
