Saturday, May 18, 2024
Lipan battled on defense but could not overcome Stamford's height advantage and turnovers.
Stamford's Shandlee Mueller was a tough player to contain for the Lady Indians. She scored 10 points in the final quarter to help put the game away.
Stamford's Laylona Applin gave Lipan fits as she commanded the Lady Dawgs' offense.
With barely a minute left in the game and trailing by nine points, the Lady Indians took a timeout to talk about how to finish the game.
Lipan's Taylor Branson goes strong to the basket against Stamford's taller interior defenders.
Lipan's Lynsey Little battles for a loose ball at midcourt.
Lipan freshman Hannah Gaylor works hard on defense. Gaylor led Lipan scorers with 10 points.
Lipan struggled against the taller Stamford frontline. Lipan's Lynsey Little's drive to the basket is stopped by a Stamford defender.
MCKINNEY—Lipan’s bid for a repeat Class 2A girls state basketball championship came to a resounding halt in the Region 2 finals in McKinney Saturday as Stamford used its height advantage and defensive press for a 49-33 win over the Lady Indians.
The No. 13-ranked Lady Bulldogs (33-2) were also quick with their lateral defense, and 90 minutes before the game, coach Amber Branson was hard at work trying to figure out how to get around Stamford’s wall.
Coming up with loose balls, winning possessions, and forcing players into fouls is how Lipan usually takes care of larger opponents. Still, the Lady Bulldogs pulled out a few tricks of their own that sent Trinity Benitez to the bench in the first quarter.
Benitez scored Lipan’s first four points as the Lady Indians kept it close in the first quarter despite turning the basketball over five time.
A three-pointer by Hanna Gaylor kept the contest close with the score of 9-7 in favor of Stamford heading into the second frame, where she would again dial it up from long range.
When the dust settled, the freshman would end up leading Lipan’s scoring with 10 points. Any fan of Lady Indians basketball knows that’s a little unusual, but so were the 15 turnovers coughed up by Lipan starters.
Defensively, Lipan hustled and pulled down its fair share of mid-range rebounds, but under the basket, Stamford’s height advantage took its toll, converting missed shots into second chance baskets.
Branson made no excuses and acknowledged her team had run into something special.
“They were just the better team today,” Branson said. “We have been fortunate, and nobody likes to lose, but the top 8 in the state is good. We are not going to graduate anyone. It’s heartbreaking for them because of how much hard work they have put in, how hard they play, and how much they care.”
While Lipan was able to keep it close in the first half, turnovers and fouls began to catch up with the Lady Indians. Lipan’s Chelsea Lott picked up her third foul with 6:14 to play in the third quarter as things started to turn to Stamford’s favor.
Stamford was in the double bonus before giving up its fifth foul of the second half. Sending the Lady Bulldogs to the free-throw line wasn’t the answer for Lipan on defense as the Lady Dawgs dutifully hit six straight freebies to close out the game.
“We didn’t take care of the ball. We knew that turnovers were going to be a factor. Inexperience just took over at times,” Branson said. “They (Stamford) are good athletes and good basketball players, and we couldn’t make the right decisions against them.”
How was Branson going to wrap this game for her players?
“I’m going to tell them I love them and that I’m proud of them,” Branson said, barely holding back the tears.
SCORING--Hanna Gaylor 10, Madison Harrison 6, Lynsey Little 5, Chelsea Lott 3, Ashlyn Clark 3, Trinity Benitez, Taylor Branson 2.
