Kylie Ellsworth, a 5-foot-6 sophomore guard, scored a total of 22 points in the first nine games of her initial varsity season, but Tuesday night she scored 21 points to help lead the Georgetown Lady Eagles to a 51-41 Family Night victory over Pflugerville Connally in their District 19-5A opener at Eagle Gym.
Ellsworth, whose previous varsity career high was five points, dropped in four of eight shots beyond the arc, three of five 2-pointers and all three of her free throws in a game that saw the Lady Eagles survive a pair of serious rallies by the Cougars, who fell to 1-1 in district play.
The Lady Eagles, who had the opening-night bye in district, will return to 19-5A play at 7 p.m. Tuesday when they play host to Hutto, 1-1 in league play, at Eagle Gym. So far, the Lady Hippos have lost to Cedar Park, 56-43, and downed Bastrop Cedar Creek, 72-33, in their first two 19-5A starts.
In Tuesday’s win over the Cougars, GHS jumped to a 19-3 lead during the opening 10 minutes and 30 seconds of the game. However, Connally outscored GHS, 10-1, over the final 3:43 of the second quarter to trail just 24-15 at the half. Connally reduced the lead to 25-20 in the opening minutes of the third period.
Two treys by Ellsworth and a pair of inside baskets by fellow sophomore McCall Hampton allowed the Lady Eagles to push the lead back to 15 points by the end of the quarter. Another 3-pointer by Ellsworth and two free throws by Hampton allowed the GHS to push the lead to 18 points at 44-26 with 5:59 to go.
A 15-2 run by Connally enabled it to slice the Georgetown margin to 46-41 with 27 seconds to play as Lady Cougars leader Enisha Fowler (18 points) made a bucket-and-one. The Lady Eagles only points during that span were a pair of free throws by junior guard Ali Isbell.
GHS then iced away the victoy with two free throws each by junior Jaelyn Knight and Ellsworth and one by senior guard Josie Weirich.
Defense and rebounding again were keys for the Lady Eagles. They held Connally to just 12 makes in 40 shots from the floor (30 percent), including just four of 16 3-pointers, and posted a 30-16 edge on the boards with junior post Jade Smith and Hampton each having five. The 6-foot Smith also blocked two shots as the Cougars continually tried to drive to the basket.
Knight, the game’s only other double-digit scorer, had 13 points and four rebounds, a total on the boards equalled by sophomore post Mackenzy Mouton. Isbell had four assists and senior Maddie Vickers had three steals.
“We had a good crowd supporting us,” GHS head coach Rhonda Farney said. “The student section was great and the support from that group is very important to the girls. (For an inexperienced team) It was a night of potential distrations for us — the opening night of district play and family night — and you don’t know how that’s gone to factor in.
“We got ino a rhythm and did a good job early in the game. We played up tempo with trapping pressure and that helped get them out of their game.”
Connally made 19 turnovers.
“Our goals were to keep them off the free throw line — something we did agood job of in the first half — and from taking the ball to the basket.
“I’m so proud of our coaching staff for all the things they do to get us ready to play.”
The Lady Eagles (6-4 on the season) will take a break from 19-5A action this weekend as they face a minimum of three games — and possibly four — in the 39th annual Jack Frost Invitational Tournament. They are scheduled to play three two games in Eagle Gym on Thursday and Friday. The will face Leander at 6 p.m. Thursday and San Marcos at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Georgetown’s pool was reduced from four to three teams on Wednesday when Houston Westbury Christian abruptly withdrew from the tournament.
They will move to bracket play on Saturday based on their showing in Pool A competition. They could meet defending tournament and 4A state champion Argyle in their bracket opener on Saturday. Bracket play is single elimination.
On the sub-varsity level on Tuesday, the GHS JV downed Connally, 44-22, behind 12 points by Kylee Sander and 10 by Hailey Smith. Mercedes Robledo and Keiana San Miguel added nine points each. The JV improved to 8-1 on the year and 1-0 in district in celebration of coach Kellye Richardson’s birthday.
The Freshman Blue took a 41-15 win over the first-year Lady Cougars to also improve to 8-1. Graci Harris and Lauren Woodard led the way with 15 and 12 points, respectively.
Playing the Salado Freshman A for the third time this season, the GHS Freshman White dropped a 40-31 decision and fell to 4-3 on the year. Megan Herring scored 18 points for GHS.
“I was proud of the way our sub-varsity players performed,” Farney said.
While Georgetown is playing in its own Jack Frost event, the JV and Freshman Blue will be competing in the Pflugerville Sub-Varsity Tournament on Thursday through Saturday.
GEORGETOWN VS. PFLUGERVILLE CONNALLY
At Eagle Gym, Tuesday, Nov. 28
VARSITY
GEORGETOWN 51, CONNALLY 41
CONNALLY (41) — Amani Stokes 0-3 1-2 1, Alexus Mitchell 0-0 0-0 0, Aryeona Justice 2-9 0-0 4, Enisha Fowler 4-13 8-11 18, Tierra Leyanna 1-2 0-0 3, Lashiyah Fowler 3-3 0-1 6, Tiara Herring 1-3 2-2 4, Zahra Cross 1-7 2-2 5. Totals: 12-40 13-18.
GHS (51) — Ali Isbell 0-4 3-4 3, Josie Weirich 1-3 0-2 3, Samari O’Brien 0-0 0-0 0, Kylie Ellsworth 7-13 3-3 21, Mackenzy Mouton 0-1 0-0 0, Jaelyn Knight 4-6 5-7 13, Maddie Vickers 1-6 0-0 2, Jade Smith 1-3 1-2 3, McCall Hampton 2-3 2-2 6. Totals: 16-39 14-20 51.
Halftime: GHS, 24-15. 3-point shooting: PC 4-16 (Stokes 0-1, Justice 0-4, E. Fowler 2-4, Leyanna 1-1, Cross 1-6); GHS 5-19 (Isbell 0-4, Weirich 1-3, Ellsworth 4-8, Vickers 0-4). Rebounds: PC 16; GHS 30 (Hampton 5, Smith 5, Mouton 4, Knight 4). Assists: GHS 14 (Isbell 4, Ellsworth 3, Vickers 3). Steals: GHS 14 (Vickers 3, Knight 2, Weirich 2, Ellsworth 2). Blocks: GHS 2 (Smith 2). Turnovers: PC 19; GHS 12. Total fouls: PC 22; GHS 16. Fouled out: PC, Cross (:18, fourth); Leyanna (:06, fourth). Technical fouls: none. Records: PC, 3-7, 1-1; GHS, 6-4, 1-0).
DISTRICT 19-5A RACE AT A GLANCE
Standings: Cedar Park, 2-0; Rouse, 2-0; Georgetown, 1-0; Bastrop, 1-1; Hutto, 1-1; Pflugerville Connally, 1-1; East View, 0-1; Bastrop Cedar Creek, 0-2; Elgin, 0-2.
Tuesday’s results: Georgetown 51, Connally 41; Cedar Park 58, Elgin 24; Rouse 67, Bastrop 38; Hutto 72, Cedar Creek 33. Bye: East View.
Tuesday (Dec. 5) games: Hutto at Georgetown, 7 p.m.; East View at Rouse, 7 p.m.; Bastrop at Cedar Park, 7:30 p.m.; Elgin at Cedar Creek, 7 p.m. Bye: Connally.
SUB-VARSITY GAMES
(GHS scoring only)
GHS JV 44, CONNALLY JV 22 — Kylee Sander 12, Hailey Hanson 0, Hailey Smith 10, Maya Perry 2, Mercedes Robledo 9, Keiana San Miguel 9, Alicia King 2. Halftime: GHS, 25-13. GHS record: 8-1, 1-0.
GHS FRESHMAN BLUE 41, CONNALLY FRESHMAN A 15 — Megan Wolfe 0, Graci Harris 15, Jordyn Stout 0, Vyctorya Lehr 7, Grace Kearney 0, Lauren Woodard 12, Skylar Neugent 7. Halftime: GHS, 23-7. GHS record: 8-1, 1-0.
SALADO FRESHMEN A 40, GHS FRESHMAN WHITE 31 — Natalie Hutchens 0, Kaytie Sander 0, Reece Johnson 3, McKenna Jansen 0, Megan Herring 18, Cheyenne Garcia 6, Abigail Salinas 1, Maddie LaCour 3. Halftime: SHS, 24-16. GHS Record: 4-3.
Source: Lady Eagles Basketball.
— By Galen Wellnicki