vs. Spring Dekaney

On December 27th, Dekaney arrived at Stratford's home court and a hockey match broke out, with little scoring and ice-cold shooting. Playing without leading scorer, Sophomore Tess Stephenson, as well as Senior guard Aria Taylor, the only points the Spartans could muster in the first quarter was Senior guard Layla Lloyd's trademark "I'm going to the basket until a wall stops me" layup. Fortunately, the Spartans' defense held Dekaney to three points.

An early Lloyd drive and jumper got the Spartans going in the second. The next Lloyd drive was a dish to Senior point guard Rachel Ashby for a three-pointer from the right wing. Ashby returned the favor with a pass to Lloyd for another three, and the half ended with the Spartans up, 12-8.

Lloyd intercepted a pass that resulted in Sophomore forward Sophia Prejean scoring underneath. Senior guard Megan Hallmark and Ashby combined to force a turnover that ended with Lloyd scoring on a contested layup. Ashby ran down an overthrown pass and headed up-court. She got the ball to Sophomore guard Camille Warren, who passed to Prejean in the corner. Prejean gave it right back to a cutting Warren for the give-and-go. The ball movement continued when Sophomore guard Riley O'Connor hit Ashby, who dished it back to O'Connor for a short jumper, and it was 21-8. Senior guard Emerson Berg scored off the assist from Warren to end the third quarter, 23-10.

A quick strike down the court from Warren to Berg to Senior forward Gretchen Loveless for a turnaround jumper started off the final quarter's scoring. Loveless snagged an offensive rebound and scored again. Freshman guard Ava Gibson made a long fast-break pass to Loveless for another bucket. Berg grabbed an offensive rebound and scored. Gibson converted a running jumper in the lane, and the Spartans won, 33-17.

Lloyd led with nine points. Loveless had six points and five rebounds. Prejean had four points and seven rebounds. Ashby had five steals.

vs. Galena Park

The Spartans traveled to Galena Park the following day. They came out hot! Ashby secured an errant pass and scored on a fast-break. Gibson scored along the baseline off the assist from Ashby. A steal from a half-court out-of-bounds resulted in another Ashby layup, and it was 6-0. O'Connor found Senior forward Kendall Davis on the block, who scored, was fouled, and made the free throw. The Spartans were everywhere defensively. Ashby had additional steals, but the Spartans didn't convert. Warren disrupted ball-handlers. Prejean had a block and a steal. The Spartans controlled the glass, and the Yellow Jackets had no answers. O'Connor made a great cross-court pass to Prejean for a bucket. Hallmark found O'Connor in the right corner for a trey. With three seconds on the clock, Warren found O'Connor for another three, and it was 17-7.

The second quarter wasn't quite as torrid. Gibson had an offensive rebound and a score. Warren had a half-court steal and found Senior guard Katherine Cronin for a basket. O'Connor to Senior forward Bella Perroni to Cronin for a left baseline jumper made it 25-13. Warren finished the half with a running jumper, and it was 27-13.

Early in the third quarter, Davis took a pass down low from Ashby, faking and shaking the opponent for a deuce. Hallmark hit Ashby at the top of the key for a three. Davis blocked a shot on defense and was rewarded with another bucket down low, after another heady offensive move. It was a night for good footwork in the front court. Loveless made a spin move and scored off the assist from Gibson. Prejean did the same, assist to Warren. Those two have chemistry. The Yellow Jackets stung the Spartans with a few threes,  and the quarter ended at 40-26.

The Spartans responded. Ashby drove the lane and scored. Hallmark made a heads-up pass to Lloyd on the right baseline for a bucket. In perhaps the most colorful play of the night, Prejean grabbed a loose ball and shot from the paint. Perroni rebounded the miss and attempted a reverse layup, albeit almost stationary. Hallmark stood at the free-throw line and threw her hands up in celebration as the shot nearly converted, then to her head as it missed, then attacked the ball, and put it in the hoop. It was worth the price of admission. Junior Rylah Barnes hit O'Connor for a three-pointer, and O'Connor scored again after a steal. The final was 51-32.

O'Connor led with 11 points. Ashby had nine points and seven steals. Davis had eight points and 11 rebounds. Gibson had five points and six rebounds. Prejean had four points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks. Hallmark had five rebounds.

vs. Cy Falls

The new year did not start with a bang. On Saturday, January 4th, a good Cy Falls team (17-4, 4-0 District) came to Stratford. Teams that give Stratford trouble are often bigger and stronger, especially in the front court. Stratford matched up quite nicely with the Eagles, size- and talent-wise. Davis put the first bucket in the basket, driving left to lay it in. Davis scored again off the long pass from Ashby. Lloyd scored after Ashby stole the ball and delivered the assist. The Spartans led 7-5. The Eagles ramped up the pressure and converted some fast breaks. They made everything they attempted, so it seemed. Stephenson, back from an extended break, spied O'Connor downcourt vs. a press and delivered a strike and ensuing O'Connor basket. Stephenson and Gibson each scored, but the Spartans were down 13-22 to end the first quarter.

The stark difference in the game was shooting percentage. The Spartans went 13/53 from the field, 1/18 from behind the arc. The Eagles were 21/49 overall, 3/9 from three-point land. All other metrics were closer in comparison, including rebounds, steals, and turnovers.

Lloyd scored after rebounding her own miss. Ashby laid in a running lefty. Stephenson scored inside off the lob from Ashby. Stephenson, who nailed several buzzer-beaters last season, was unable to convert a long three to end the half and it was 22-35, Eagles.

Stephenson faked and split two defenders to score. Warren scored from three-point land, assist to Gibson. Hallmark scored on a fast break after the steal from Prejean.

Going into the fourth quarter, it was 44-31, and it felt like if the Spartans could convert their shots a little more, a win was still within grasp. But the difference in buckets made for the game despite a similar number of attempts...eight more made....two more three-pointers and one additional free throw for the Eagles was the difference. If each team had come more to the mean, it would have been a different game. The best part of the fourth quarter was seeing Ashby and Stephenson both extend hands to a downed Eagle and help her up. One hundred percent class! The game ended at 35-54, Eagles.

Davis was the leading scorer with seven points. Stephenson and Lloyd each scored six. Ashby had five points, eight rebounds, and five steals. The Spartans' (12-8, 4-1 District) 10-game win streak came to an end. The Spartans go to Cy Ridge on Wednesday before facing that team in red on Saturday at Don Coleman Coliseum.