GROESBECK — With Lorena’s shots not falling in the basket, the Lady Leopards decided to turn up the defensive pressure.

It turned out to be a good decision.

Lorena forced 32 Mexia turnovers, including a traveling call with less than 10 seconds left to save a 42-40 victory in a District 19-3A third-place tiebreaker game Friday night.

“At the end, our defense was a big key,” Lorena coach Laura Meinzer said. “When our offense isn’t working, we turn to our defense and that usually helps.”

With 10 seconds left in the game, Mexia inbounded the ball from the sideline to Taylor Ballard, who was trapped near the midcourt line and shuffled her feet.

Lorena’s Katie Sampson was fouled and made the first free throw before missing the second with three seconds left. But Sampson, who was the only Lady Leopard in the area against three Lady Cats, grabbed the rebound and dribbled the clock out.

Sampson and Cassie Cubbison, who fouled out with 5:28 remaining in the game, led Lorena with seven points apiece.

“Our offense has been struggling,” Meinzer said. “It’s a little better than it has been, but it’s still not where it needs to be. Hopefully we can get it going before it’s too late.”

Ashley Johnson tied the game at 40 with a 15-foot bank shot for Mexia with 34 seconds left. But not even a second went off the clock before the tie was broken. Lorena’s Erin Sims was fouled on the rebounding action and made one of two free throws to put the Lady Leopards right back in front with what turned out to be the game-winning point.

4th-quarter runs

The entire fourth quarter went back and forth.

Briana Lina scored a layup with 28 seconds left in the third, and the Lady Leopards (25-8) took a 23-22 lead into the final period.

That turned out to be the start of an 8-0 run and a 29-22 Lorena advantage on a foot-on-the-line 2-pointer by Sampson, a 15-foot jumper by Christen Batson, who contributed six points and 11 rebounds, and a pair of Cubbison free throws.

Just when it looked like the Lady Leopards might run away with the game, Brittnea’ Jones stepped in. Jones scored six points in a 29-second span, and Ballard closed out an 8-0 spurt with a layup off of a steal to edge Mexia right back in front, 30-29, with 4:39 remaining.

The game was tied three times down the stretch before the Lady Leopards made the plays necessary to finish off the win.

Lorena couldn’t get anything to fall in the basket early in the game.

Despite getting many more chances at the basket than Mexia, Lorena didn’t make a field goal until Cubbison laid the ball in with less than a minute left in the first quarter.

The Lady Cats turned the ball over 10 times in the first eight minutes, including its first five possessions, but made four of its six shots from the floor and held a 9-5 lead.

Brownsboro awaits

“I thought we were very tight,” Meinzer said. “We’ve been practicing against the freshmen boys just to feel the intensity of tough defense. So I felt like we could handle (Mexia’s defensive) pressure. But I think it was just the stress of the playoff game. We wanted (to win) so badly that I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves.”

Fortunes turned in the second quarter, when it was Mexia that made only one field goal. Emily Jaska knocked down a midrange jumper from the baseline with 25 seconds left in the half that sent the Lady Leopards into the break with a 16-14 lead.

Jones led all scorers with 14 points for Mexia (9-15).

Lorena advances to the Class 3A playoffs, where it will meet 16th-ranked Brownsboro. That game will be played Tuesday in Corsicana. The time has yet to be determined.

jorts@wacotrib.com

757-5717

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