But the Lady Knights simply didn’t have enough firepower to overcome Round Rock McNeil as the Lady Mavericks earned a 59-54 victory in a Class 5A girls basketball bi-district playoff game Tuesday night at Temple College.
Schera Sampson, a 6-foot senior who has signed with Stephen F. Austin, was a force inside with 16 points, 13 rebounds and eight blocked shots to give the Lady Mavs the advantage. McNeil (25-13) advance to play Spring Westfield in the area round later this week.
“We had a problem rebounding,” said Heights coach Lisa Hess, whose team finished with a 21-10 record. “(Sampson) is a great player. We just didn’t play well enough to win.”
Early on the game looked to have the makings of a rout, but the Lady Knights never let the Lady Mavs get too far out of their sights. However, they weren’t able to make up the deficit.
“In the first half our defense did a good job,” McNeil coach Amanda Aguilar said. “As long as we were keeping the ball inside (on offense) we did well. Once we started shooting from the outside our percentage went down and we just kind of maintained a seven-point lead.”
McNeil carried a 29-22 advantage into halftime and a 46-37 lead into the fourth quarter.
Still, the Lady Knights hung around and whittled the lead to five but never could get over the hump.
Taylor, a 6-foot junior, pumped in 20 of her game-high 24 in the second half. Her 18-footer at the 1:12 mark cut the Lady Knights’ deficit to 55-50. Sampson answered with an open layup and McNeil’s Kyria Dial, who led the Lady Mavs with 18 points, added another.
The Lady Knights scored the final four points on free throws from Rashawndira Johnson and a driving bucket by Taylor to account for the five-point difference.
McNeil jumped on Heights to take a 17-9 lead through the first quarter. The Lady Knights battled to maintain that deficit. Senior point guard Martin came off the bench to get all 13 of her points, including a trio of 3-pointers, in the first half.
The Lady Mavs built their biggest lead of the game at 44-30 at the 2:55 mark of the third quarter. Heights finished the frame on a 7-2 run with baskets from Taylor, Jazalyn Harp and Tamika Lynce to pull back within nine.
Camille Washington had 10 points and nine assists for the Lady Mavs and Bukie Adebo had 10 rebounds to go with eight points.
McNeil’s victory completed 14-5A’s bi-district sweep of 13-5A teams. In an earlier game at TC, Cedar Park edged College A&M Consolidated 50-48, and 13-5A teams Bryan and Killeen Shoemaker lost Monday.
Heights reached the third round last year in its playoff debut but won’t get the opportunity to duplicate that mark.
Said Hess: “The kids worked hard and we had a good season.”
twaits@temple-telegram.com
