HS Girls Basketball Playoffs: Intense Fight from Lady Highlanders Falls Short Against Nimitz

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- The Woodlands Lady Highlanders (21-14) fell in the Bi-District round 63-54 to the Nimitz Lady Cougars (25-6), ending a hard-fought season for the young squad.

A clear trend of defensive play established the pace for the game from the opening whistle. Both squads played intense, man-to-man defense that smothered ball handlers and provided few windows for shots.

The few points Nimitz could post came from free throws and medium-range jumpers. While not being momentum swingers, they served enough to snag an initial lead over The Woodlands.

In response, the Lady Highlanders let shots fly from behind the arch. The made shots energized the sizable Woodlands crowd and kept the team in a constant one-possession deficit.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Lady Highlander Head Coach Ashley Davis spoke on where her team’s ability to stick with tough opponents came from.

“We can grind, and it was our seniors who put that fight in us,” said Davis. “It's unfamiliar for us to be in the playoffs, but we still found ways to fight.”

A late make from Nimitz pushed the team ahead 16-14 at the end of the first, but possession to start the second and a sound offensive strategy gave a positive outlook for The Woodlands before the half.

The grasp of the defenses began to slip as the pace ticked up to start the second quarter. Fastbreaks from turnovers gave the Lady Cougars efficient looks near the basket for layups that accelerated the team ahead on the scoreboard.

The Lady Highlander shooters fell silent in response, with the typical shots not falling like they had earlier. A lack of offensive response worked in tandem against The Woodlands as the Nimitz lead continued to widen.

Ruthless Nimitz drives put additional pressure on the Lady Highlander defenders to get stops. When defenders came to stop inside drives, extra passes and second chances gave the Lady Cougars ample opportunities to get points near the rim.

As they had done earlier, The Woodlands fought through the adversity and came back into contention as the halftime buzzer sounded. Nimitz still had a 29-23 lead, but a fight still shone through for the Lady Highlanders.

“We didn’t have the best first half,” said Davis during halftime. “We got stagnant with the ball, and I let them know that if we played good team basketball, we can get back into it.”

The Woodlands came out swinging to start the second half. A stingy defense turned away the opening two possessions for Nimitz, and the offense drew within one point in just as many attempts.

A Lady Cougar timeout refocused Nimitz initially, but small mistakes kept the team from pulling back to the lead they once had. Three minutes into the second half, the Lady Highlanders pulled even for the first time since the game’s opening moments.

In response, the Lady Cougars recaptured the offense that gave them the lead in the first place, rattling off a 9-0 run to break the tie. The Woodlands’ inability to scrape up points meant precious seconds ticked without the team drawing closer.

Some scoring in the final two minutes gave some sparks for the Lady Highlanders, but responsive makes from Nimitz squashed any hopes of an immediate comeback.

The hopes of a season rested on the Woodlands’ ability to scrap in crunch time. A seven-point deficit was manageable, but the pieces of sturdy defense and efficient offense would need to join if the Lady Highlander dream were to stay alive.

Offensive possessions lasting less than 30 seconds got the quick points the Lady Highlanders needed, but the defense failed to stop the Nimitz attack. The responsive makes by the Lady Cougars ensured that their lead remained intact as the fourth quarter soldiered on.

“We were trying too hard to make something happen,” said Davis. “I think that was our youth hurting us in that situation. The lights got too bright, and they started thinking that we were running out of time.”

For all of the woes on defense, the Lady Highlander offense tried its best to keep the dream of a comeback afloat. Crucial threes from the corners prevented the Lady Cougar lead from ballooning to double-digits. A handful of transition opportunities added fuel to the fire and brought the deficit to just six points in favor of Nimitz.

After a timeout, the Lady Cougars altered their offensive strategy to take advantage of the nonexistent shot clock. Lengthy possessions wasted time instead of looking for shots, and the Lady Highlanders were forced into intentionally fouling.

Critical free throws from Nimitz fell when attempted, and the possessions after the Lady Cougar's attempts resulted in too few points going up.

The last seconds of the game ticked off the clock, with the Lady Highlander falling 63-54 despite their sensational fighting effort.

A glimmer of hope does still shine for The Woodlands in their core contributors being underclassmen. The freshmen and sophomore scorers on the team allow Davis and the rest of the Lady Highlander coaching staff to remain optimistic that the team can return to the postseason.

“It's going to be fun,” said Davis about next season. “The seniors left their legacy, but these young girls are ready to go, and they can see the blood in the water.”

The goal of postseason play will have to wait until next season for the Lady Highlanders, as their season has come to its end. Nimitz will celebrate its victory before facing Klein Oak in the Area Round.

Photos