Stephenville girls tip off playoffs against Hirschi

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Stephenville and Skylar Chipman travel to Breckenridge Tuesday evening to face Wichita Falls Hirschi in a Region I-4A bi-district basketball playoff. || TheFlashToday.com photo by RUSSELL HUFFMAN

By BRAD KEITH

TheFlashToday.com

STEPHENVILLE (February 16, 2016) — The playoffs expose weaknesses, verify strengths and ultimately determine whose left as the cream rises to the top.

They tip off Tuesday for Stephenville, the third place finisher in District 6-4A, against Wichita Falls Hirschi, the runner-up from 5-4A. Tipoff at Breckenridge High School is set for 6 p.m. with the winner to meet Bridgeport, a 51-32 winner over Midlothian Heritage Monday, in the area round.

“They’re very athletic, they have four athletic girls who can really run and apply pressure,” said Stephenville head coach Alan Thorpe, who has guided the Honeybees past this round each of the last six years. “We have to take care of the ball and handle their pressure, and we need to be aggressive defensively without fouling. We want to pressure their guards, too, and try to disrupt what they want to do.”


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Stephenville did not play a playoff prep game because the Bees were maxed out by UIL rule, said Thorpe. But they finished their season with a convincing victory over Graham to deny the Lady Blues a playoff spot.

The Bees are led by seniors Kali Smith, Bayleigh Chaviers and Skylar Chipman, Smith often leading the team in scoring as their 3-point marksman, with Chaviers and Chipman bringing their soccer and track athleticism to the court to pressure foes.

Such is the biggest thing tonight.

“Bayleigh and Skylar have been pretty good all year about bringing pressure without getting us into foul trouble, and we need that to continue,” said Thorpe, who added that depth should be in Stephenville’s favor.

On paper, Stephenville has more depth and role players than Hirschi. There are players like senior Mikayla Hobbs, who came on strong the last half of district play after an extended absence due to illness, and Jaycee Morton, a freshman who has scored in double digits multiple times and hasn’t backed down from an upperclassmen since being called up from the junior varsity ranks early in the year.

Payton Wall is just a sophomore and has been instrumental all year with her speed and athleticism, while Liz Pack has come on of late in the paint. Backup Emily Brandon comes in and stretch defenses with her ability to step up in the high post and shoot all the way to the arc.

“We’ve got good pieces, we just have to bring it altogether in the right games,” said Thorpe.


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