By BRAD KEITH
TheFlashToday.com
STEPHENVILLE (January 8, 2015) — Stephenville erased a 12 point deficit with a 18-2 run including the first seven points of the fourth quarter to take the lead, and went on to turn back No. 11 Brownwood, 51-48, in a 6-4A opener at Gandy Gym Friday.
Stephenville (10-13, 1-0) took a 43-39 lead on a pair of free throws and an old-fashioned 3-point play by freshman Jaycee Morton, but Brownwood (15-6, 0-1) answered with four straight, the last two on a steal and transition layup to tie it at 43-43.
But the Bees had an answer, and once again, Morton was part of it. The freshman got a steal and an assist to setup Mikayla Hobbs for a go-ahead layup. Morton canned her fourth and fifth straight free throws for a 47-43 edge with 1:50 left, finishing with 14 points including seven in the fourth.
Stephenville then went to a stall, so Brownwood began fouling, a strategy that quickly eliminated two Lady Lion starters with five fouls.
But Brownwood wasn’t done, hitting a 3-pointer to pull within 48-47 with 24 seconds left and immediately calling a timeout.
Ali Thorpe made it 50-48 with a free throw, but Treasure Wilson of Brownwood drove in and was fouled shooting with eight seconds left. Wilson missed the first, Stephenville called timeout, then Wilson made the second to cut it to one.
Brownwood had a hard time catching up to speedy Stephenville point guard Bayleigh Chaviers, who managed to avoid being fouled until 2.75 seconds remained. She hit both, Brownwood missed a desperation heave at the buzzer and the Bees held on.
Behind Morton, Hobbs scored nine and Chaviers seven including five in the decisive fourth quarter. Payton Wall scored six, Kali Smith five, Emily Brandon three, Thorpe three and Ebony Green two.
Brownwood was led by Treasure Wilson with 19 points, one less than her season average. She scored seven of the nine Lady Lion points in the fourth.
The rally to get back in the game began with five straight points to trail by six late in the third. They got as close as 35-31 moments later on a Payton Wall bucket and trailed 39-33 after three.
Brownwood went on a 10-0 run after a back and forth opening few minutes saw Stephenville edge in front 6-5. The Lady Lions handled the Honeybee press and and attacked the basket consistently to build a 19-10 lead after one.
The second quarter was back and forth and left Brownwood lead in 30-22 at the intermission.
Stephenville breaks from 6-4A and hosts Fort Worth Country Day Tuesday. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
TheFlashToday.com photos by BRAD KEITH
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