Lady Lions face tough 3A team in season opener

By Sam Waller

The Albany Lady Lions got their basketball season off to a belated start Monday with a 52-21 loss to Ballinger.

The Lady Lions were originally scheduled to host Guthrie, but coach Tate Thompson said his team gained more by taking on the Class 3A Lady Bearcats.

“We needed to see our mistakes exposed, and teams like Ballinger are going to show that,” he said. “That gives us an idea of what we need to work on. If we play somebody and are able to get away with mistakes, that’s not helping us get better.”

Albany withdrew from the  Randal Murry Classic at Seymour last week because Thompson was battling illness, but he was back on the job Monday.

Kiana Roberson led the Lady Lions with 11 points, while Ashlyn Holson added six. Briley Tabor and Avery Kleiner each scored two points.

Ballinger (4-1) used an 11-0 run to go up 14-3 in the first quarter, then opened the second with a 10-2 run on the way to a 26-11 halftime lead. The margin grew to 44-13 in the third quarter, and the Lady Bearcats led by as much as 35 points in the fourth.

Despite the rough start, Thompson said there were some bright spots.

“We had some glimmers every once in awhile of some hustle,” he said. “We’re not in shape right now, so we’re going to have to learn to push past that and be more mentally tough. I saw some good things, but I saw a lot of things that need work.” 

The Lady Lions played at Comanche on Tuesday, but because of this week’s early  deadline, results will be reported next week.