Girls end season with loss to district champs

By Sam Waller

The Albany Lady ­Lion basketball team took its lumps from a pair of playoff-bound opponents last week as the end of the season drew near.

On Tuesday, Feb. 1, Albany lost 67-17 at Cisco. On Saturday, Feb. 5, the Lady Lions dropped their final home game against Anson 64-21. Anson and Cisco entered the weekend tied for second place in District 10-2A.

Albany (8-18 overall, 1-9 district) closed out its schedule on Tuesday, Feb. 8, with a 81-16 loss at No. 13 Stamford, which had already clinched the district title.

“In a couple of these games when we’ve played some of these teams the second time, we’ve performed well the first quarter and a half or so and kind of petered out from there,” coach Tate Thompson said. “It’s hard to get motivated when you’re not going to the playoffs and have lost a bunch.”

Thompson said finding motivation for the finale was a challenge.

“They’re going to miss playing, so I told them to enjoy it while they can,” he said.

In the 67-17 loss at Cisco, the Lady Lions were without sophomore post Kiana Roberson, further increasing the Lady ­Loboes’ height advantage. Cisco took an 15-5 lead in the first quarter and increased the margin to 33-8 at halftime, then outscored Albany 19-0 in the third quarter.

Ashlyn Holson led Albany with six points and Avery Kleiner scored five.

CISCO 67, ALBANY 17

ALBANY – Ashlyn Holson 6, Briley Tabor 3, Avery Kleiner 5, Lizzie Chavez 3.

Albany 5 3 0 9 - 17

Cisco 18 15 19 15 - 67

In Saturday’s 64-21 loss to Anson, which was postponed from Friday, Feb. 4, because of the snow and ice that hit the area earlier in the week, the Lady Tigers used a 15-2 run in the first quarter to pull out to a 20-7 lead at the end of the period. A 14-3 run in the second quarter helped Anson increase the margin to 38-12 at halftime.

Holson and Kleiner each scored six points to lead the Lady Lions.

ANSON 64, ALBANY 21

ALBANY – Ashlyn Holson 6, Briley Tabor 5, Avery Kleiner 6, Lizzie Chavez 2, Kiana Roberson 2.

Anson 20 18 11 15 - 64

Albany 7 5 3 6 - 21