Lady Lions face tough district stretch
The Albany Lady Lions faced a challenging test last week in district play, when they traveled to Cisco on Tuesday, Jan. 13 to face the state’s No. 3-ranked team.
Albany fell 88-21, but head coach Ashlyn Bevel said the team showed positive development despite the loss.
The Lady Lions opened the second half of District 7-2A play by hosting Hawley on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
They came away with a 37-27 win, with details to be published next week.
Albany will have an open date on Friday, Jan. 23, before traveling to Stamford on Tuesday, Jan. 27. The JV girls game is scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m., followed by the JV boys, with the varsity girls tipping off at approximately 6:15 p.m.
Game Details
“We didn’t come out with a win against Cisco, but I was very proud of how well the girls played,” Bevel said. “Playing against a team that is ranked No. 3 in the state is tough to do both mentally and physically. Our girls went in with a good mindset and played their hardest. It made us better. I saw good ball movement when it came to breaking Cisco’s press and some good defensive stops in our half-court defense.”
Zayne Lefevre and Keeley Britting led Albany with seven points each, followed by Madi Parrott with four, Ashlyn Miller with two and Tinley Hefner with one.
Albany returned home on Friday, Jan. 16, to host Anson in a closely contested district matchup. The Lady Lions battled until the final buzzer but came up short in a 56-50 loss.
“We knew going into this game it was going to be a close one. Both teams are pretty evenly matched up,” Bevel said. “Our girls battled until the last buzzer went off. We were able to break their press all night. We played tough defense. It was a great night of basketball.”
Bevel said Albany dealt with early foul trouble among starters and had one player foul out early in the fourth quarter, but she credited the team’s substitutes for stepping up.
“I was proud of my subs for stepping up and playing well,” she said. “Offensively we shot the ball very well for the night, probably the best I’ve seen us shoot all year. Seven of eight players scored for the Lady Lions, and that was exciting to see.”
Lefevre recorded a career-high 25 points to lead Albany. Keeley Britting added 13 points, Tinley Hefner scored five, and Madi Parrott, Tatum Grady and Avery Gleitz each finished with two points. Ashlyn Miller added one.
Following the first round of district play, Albany was in fifth place in the standings.
“We host Hawley tomorrow and then have our bye on Friday,” Bevel said on Monday. “The girls are still fighting and working hard for a playoff spot.”
Hawley does not field a JV team, so Albany plans to suit up a couple of JV players for the varsity game.
JV Games
The JV Lady Lions team split their games, falling to Cisco before bouncing back with a narrow win over Anson.
Albany came up short in a 45-24 loss to Cisco. Hailey Gleitz led the team with 12 points, while Kynlee Milligan and Sawyer Shoaf scored six points each.
“The girls started off really strong,” JV coach Lauren Peacock said. “After halftime, though, it was a different story. We gave up on defense and allowed them 26 points in the second half.”
Peacock said facing a solid Cisco team was even more challenging due to Albany’s limited roster.
“Overall, Cisco is a solid team, and playing with six girls makes it even tougher to be successful,” she said.
Albany responded on Friday with a 27-24 district win over Anson. Milligan led the Lady Lions with 10 points, followed by Sawyer Shoaf with nine and Kenzee Roysdon with eight.
“These girls worked extremely hard this game,” Peacock said. “We had one bad quarter and it nearly cost us. But these girls don’t give up.”
Peacock said Albany stepped up defensively and outscored Anson in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
“They got after it in the fourth quarter, stepped it up on defense and outscored them,” she said. “I’m proud of them for working hard. We just have to find some consistency.”
