Lady Longhorns set to host district 6 2A championship

link Lady Longhorn Shana Sorrels lunges for the lose ball during Friday night’s

district game against Melrose at Logan. The Lady Longhorns won 61-57 and

forced Melrose into a playoff game Saturday in Tucumcari for first place in the

District 6 2A standings. Logan won that game 60-57 and will host the district

championship at 7 p.m. Friday at Logan.

By Thomas Garcia

QCS Senior Writer

After back-to-back nail-biting wins over the Melrose Lady Buffaloes, the Lady Longhorns have earned the first-seed in the district 6 2A tournament and will host the championship Friday at Logan.

“The Lady Longhorns know whichever team they play on Friday will be challenge to overcome,” said Clair Rachor, Lady Longhorns head coach.

Rachor said the past two victories over the Lady Buffaloes give him confidence in the ability of his starters and depth of his bench.

Rachor said the Lady Longhorns are excited to be hosting the district championship game, as they have proven in the past they are a tough team to beat at home.

The Longhorns narrowly beat the Lady Buffaloes 61-57 Friday at Logan to force a playoff game for the first seed in their district.

The teams were tied 55-55 with one minute left in Friday night’s game when the Lady Longhorns were caught in the corner inbounding the ball and were tied up by the Lady Buffaloes defense.

Play was stopped by the referee who called for a “jump ball,” in which an alternating arrow system determines which team igets the ball. In this case, it was Logan.

Lady Buffaloes coach Caleb King objected to the call, asked for a time out and argued with the referee. King was warned to return to the coaches box and received a technical foul.

The technical gave the Lady Longhorns two free-throws and possession of the ball. Lady Longhorn Kippi Webb made both penalty shots, giving Logan the late lead.

The Lady Buffaloes Caley Barnard, however, recovered a rebound from a missed shot during the ensuing possession and scored a lay-up to once again tie the match.

“You just can’t give up even when things look hopeless,” Barnard said.

Barnard’s determination was apparent early in the game when she was forced out of play for two minutes while coaching staff attended to a cut on her forehead. After that Barnard could still be heard from the bench cheering on her team and calling out assignments to her fellow players.

“We need to stay together as a team and not have so many mental breakdowns on the court,” Barnard said. “We can’t afford to have spurts of energy in the game we need to play with intensity the whole way through.”

With the game tied up and less than 40 seconds remaining, Lady Longhorn Kaylee Foote managed to break free of her defender and make a jump shot.

The Lady Buffaloes turned the ball over on their following possession and were forced to foul to stop the clock. The foul sent Webb back to the foul line and she made both for the final scores of the game.

“The girls did a great job of mixing up the defense, running different zones and half court sets,” Rachor said. “We did a good job of boxing out and securing the rebound as well.”

The Lady Longhorns had little time to rest before they faced the Lady Buffaloes again Saturday on a neutral court in Tucumcari.

The Lady Longhorns once again beat the Lady Buffaloes by a small margin 60-57 at the Snake Pit.

Rachor said the Lady Longhorns got into foul trouble late in the second half. He said post Emily Collins and Foote fouled out in the fourth period.

“It was tough, but our girls responded well and rotated to fill the gaps,” Rachor said. “If anything, losing Collins and Foote showed me that the younger players are ready to step up and play where we need them.”

Rachor said he will not tell his players to ease up their aggressive defense. He wants them to contest the opponents’ possession of the ball at all times and press them on defense, he said, and the younger players can step in if the team should get into foul trouble.

Game time: 7 p.m., Friday at Logan

The Logan Longhorns will play the winner of Tuesday’s game between Dora and Fort Sumner Thursday night at Logan for a chance to advance to the district finals against Melrose.

The Longhorns lost 59-48 on Saturday to Melrose in a playoff game held Saturday at the Snake Pit in Tucumcari.

“The guys know they need to play their absolute best on Thursday if they want a chance to play Melrose one more time for the district title,” said Randy Robertson, Longhorns head coach.

Robertson said the Longhorns are fully aware of what they most overcome if they want to contend for the district title. He said both Dora and Fort Sumner are well- coached ball clubs with very capable players.

“The teams in our district have played each other so much that we all know what each are used to doing,” Robertson said. “This can be both an advantage and disadvantage. You’ve got to work on your own weaknesses in preparing for either team knowing they will be looking to exploit them.”

The Longhorns had forced Saturday’s playoff game with Melrose who is the first seed in the district 6 2A standing, by defeating them 76-56 Friday in Logan.

“You just never know how a game will go in our district,” Robertson said. “Each team is skilled and each is hungry for the win.”

Game time: 6 p.m. Thursday at Logan

The San Jon Coyotes have earned the first seed in the district 4 1A tournament and will host the district championship at 6 p.m. Friday at San Jon.

* Due to Monday’s bad weather, San Jon’s opponent for the championship will be determined tonight.