Lady Kats lose area playoff in overtime

It was what playoff games are meant to be – a fight to the end. In this game the underdogs, the Kennedale Lady Kats (24-12), battled to upset the odds on favorite, Abilene Wylie (27-5), and took it into overtime before losing 57-51. {{more: [Read more]}}

?It was a tight game between two good teams,? said Kennedale Head Coach Doug Watson.

Going into the game, the Wylie team was ranked in the top ten in 4A in three different polls. The MaxPreps rankings placed Wylie as high as #3 in Class 4A with Kennedale at #20. (TABC had Kennedale at #13). Kennedale was down several players due to late season injuries but they seemed ready for this one which was played in Lipan on Friday night. The Lady Kats led after the 1st 13-10 and after the 2nd 24-20. The game was tied after the 4th at 35 and again at the end of the 4th at 49.

Second year Coach Doug Watson has his second 20+ win season (staff photo)

?We played really hard with tough defense all night,? said Coach Watson. He added, ?I am so proud of how our girls came out and played with confidence against a team that is the state runner up from last year, and ranked consistently in the top 5.?

the game ?

• Wylie won the tipoff and scored the first points of the game but Kennedale came back with baskets by Lady Kats {{t2:Evie Whorley: }} and {{t2:Lucy Benson: }}. Wylie scored the next six points to take an 8-4 lead. Back to back baskets by Lady Kat {{t2:Dajia Simmons: }} knotted the game at 8. After Wylie went up by 2, Benson scored and then followed that up with 2 points from the foul line to give the Kats a 2 point lead in the closing minute of the quarter. After being fouled, Evie Whorley went 1 for 2 from the line to give the Kats the lead at 13-10 at the close of the quarter. (Points: Benson ? 6, Simmons ? 4, Whorley 3).

Quarter Two

• After spotting Wylie 2 points, Whorley added 2 points for a Kats? lead of 15-12. Wylie came back to make back to back baskets for a one point advantage but a basket by Simmons and a 3 pointer by Lady Kat {{t2:Payton Williams: }} gave Kennedale a four point lead 20-16. Wylie had their own 3 pointer to cut the Kats lead to 1 but back to back baskets by Benson gave the Kats a halftime lead 24-20. (Points: Benson ? 4, Simmons ? 2, Whorley ? 2, Williams ? 3).

• Williams made her second 3 pointer of the game for a Kats lead of 27-20. A followed up 2 pointer by Evie Whorley gave Kennedale the biggest lead of the game of nine points 29-20. Wylie climbed back into the game with a 11-2 run to tie the game at 31. During that run, {{t2:Kylie Embry: }} scored Kennedale?s only basket. Wylie took its 3rd lead of the game off of a free throw for a 31-32. Simmons got the lead back with a 2. Wylie tied with a free throw at 33 but Whorley followed with a basket. Wylie came back to tie the game at 35 with two free throws at the end of the quarter. (Points: Simmons ? 2, Whorley ? 4, Williams 3, Embry 2).

• Wylie takes their 4 lead of the game with two free throws but Whorley responds with a 3 and Simmons follows with 2 points for a Kats lead of 40-37. Wylie regains the lead with off of two foul shots and a basket for a 40 ? 41 lead. Benson makes 3 points off a basket and a follow-up free throw and then adds another basket to give the Kats a 45-41 lead. After another foul call on Kennedale, Wylie made both shots to cut the lead to 45-43. A Whorley score was matched by Wylie for a score of 47-45. Whorley then makes two free throws for a 49-45 Kennedale lead with less than 30 seconds on the clock. But, Wylie manages to make a basket and two free throws to tie the game at the end of regulation at 49. (Points: Benson ? 5, Simmons ? 2, Whorley ? 7)

• Wylie makes 8 three throws while Kennedale (Whorley) made a basket for a final score of 51-57.

?Although we came up a little bit short in the end, I couldn’t be more happy with our overall effort and attitude. I know they will work hard this off-season and be back ready to compete next season,? said Watson.

 

For the game, {{t2:Evie Whorley: }} had 18 points followed by {{t2:Lucy Benson: }} 15, {{t2:Dajia Simmons: }} 10, {{t2:Payton Williams: }} 6 and {{t2:Kylie Embry: }} 2.

Kennedale finished a very good season at 24-12, 9-1 and as district co-champion with a bi-district title.

The team will graduate no seniors this year and should be back intact next year.