It has to be a frustrating loss when you score more than one-third of your final point total in the initial six minutes and 27 seconds of the contest to hold a 14-2 advantage. But in the closing three seconds with the score deadlocked at 41-41 the opponent’s leading scorer, Kiyleyah Parr, missed two free throws only to have her Waco La Vega teammate Ri’azia Smith grab the rebound on the second miss and put it back just prior to the buzzer as the host Lady Pirates claimed a 43-41 victory.
The loss to Class 4A La Vega dropped Georgetown to 6-2 on the season before they face 6A Belton (3-4) at 8 p.m. Friday in the Lady Eagles’ final non-district game before opening District 25-5A competition at 8 p.m. Tuesday against Leander Glenn, which is coached by former GHS assistant Jordan Ramey. “We just didn’t get any breaks down the stretch,” GHS coach Rhonda Farney said. “It’s one of those games when you need to go into the fourth quarter ahead by 10 points. We need to make sure the kids go into future games with more determination and get ready to play.” Despite the final statistics, Georgetown did not claim enough rebounds in key situations and retain control of the ball. Also, they got several good looks at the basket, but the ball did not go down. For example, La Vega outrebounded GHS, 14-8, on the offensive boards. The free-shooting Lady Pirates only made 27 percent from the floor (15 of 55) and 37 percent from the free-throw line. GHS hit 12 of 36 (33 percent from the floor) with one player — senior point guard Graci Harris — scoring more than half of the Lady Eagles’ points with 21.
After Georgetown’s sprint to the 14-2 lead that included two 3-pointers by Harris and an additional tree by Morgan Larson, the Lady Pirates (5-2) cut the Lady Eagles’ edge to 14-9 by the end of the first quarter. GHS fell behind 19-18 with 2:51 to go in the first half, but regained the lead and held a 25-20 advantage at halftime. In the third quarter, Georgetown expanded its lead to 29-21 and still held a 32-27 edge after three quarters. In the decisive final period, Harris added another 3-pointer to put GHS up by six at 39-33 with 3:52 to go in the game. However, The Lady Pirates scored the next six points to tie the game at 39-39 with 1:22 to go. Harris hit two free throws to put GHS up 41-39 at the 1:09 mark. A bucket by Parr off a steal with 24 seconds remaining in the game resulted in the basket that tied the issue again at 41-41 and set the stage for La Vega’s winning sequence. With Harris scoring 21 of her team’s 41 points, the only other Lady Eagles with more than three points were Megan Herring with seven and Jacqui Spencer with six. Niah Williams led GHS’ rebounders with nine and Harris added five rebounds and four steals. Parr with 16 and Smith with 11 accounted for all but 16 of La Vega’s points. The Lady Pirates had no other point makers with more than four each.
Friday’s match-up with Belton actually will be the second meeting of the season between the Lady Eagles and Lady Tigers. They scrimmaged on Oct. 31 with Georgetown getting the best of all three varsity sessions. The Lady Tigers are coming off back-to-back losses to Liberty Hill, 42-33, and Round Rock Cedar Ridge, 58-36. They opened the season with setbacks to Bryan Rudder, 57-40, and Pflugerville Connally, 51-31. Their wins between the two two-game losing streaks were 46-41 over Marble Falls, 34-32 over Gatesville, and 42-40 over East View.
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Corey Cunningham’s Georgetown JV improved its season record to 8-0 Tuesday night at La Vega with its most-one-sided victory of the young campaign — a 67-5 win over the young Lady Pirates. GHS, which is averaging a victory margin of 38.1 points a game, shut out La Vega in the first and third quarters and allowed four points in the second period and one in the fourth. The Lady Eagles built a 25-0 lead before the Lady Pirates scored their first of two field goals. All eight players who took the court for the Lady Eagles scored with post player Madelyne Furr scoring 14 and Taylor Meyners and Brooke White added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
On the season, the GHS JV has bested Round Rock Cedar Ridge by 46, Waco Midway by 26, Austin Westwood by 15, Lorena by 43, Round Rock McNeil by 45, Bryan Rudder by 31, Round Rock by 37, and La Vega by 62. In action this coming weekend the JV is scheduled to entertain Belton at 6:30 p.m. Friday and visit Florence at 11:15 a.m. Saturday. The Freshman Blue faces the same slate, playing Belton at 5:15 p.m. Friday and Florence at 10 a.m. Saturday. The Freshman White will go against Salado at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the GHS Auxiliary Gym.
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TUESDAY’S VARSITY GAME
At Waco La Vega, Bellmead
Non-District
LA VEGA 43, GEORGETOWN 41
GHS (41) — Ella Vickers 0-0 0-0 0. Niah Williams 1-5 0-2 2, Jacqui Spencer 2-6 2-2 8, Sam Folsom 0-0 0-0 0, Morgan Larson 1-4 0-0 3, Graci Harris 5-12 8-10 21, Megan Herring 2-4 3-4 7, Jordyn Stout 0-3 0-0 0, Madelyne Furr 0-0 0-0 0, Lauren Woodard 0-1 0-0, Sheila Lee 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 12-36 (33 percent) 12-18 (72 percent).
LA VEGA (41) — Jadyn Iglehart 0-0 1-2 1, Mar’cyah Willis 1-11 0-2 3, Kiyleyah Parr 6-17 2-8 16, Serenity Bullard 0-2 0-0 0, Andri’nae West 1-3 1-2 3, Ri’azia Smith 5-10 1-4 11, Tynia Washington 0-1 4-7 4, Kaley O’Neal 2-3 0-0 4, Andrea Johnson 0-8 1-2 1. Totals: 15-55 (27 percent) 10-27 (37 percent) 41.
Halftime: GHS, 25-20. 3-point shooting: GHS, 4-17 (Larson 1-3, Spencer 0-2, Stout 0-3, Harris 3-9); LV, 3-12 (Willis 1-7, Parr 2-3, West 0-1, Jonson 0-1). Assists: GHS 9 (Stout 3, Harris 2). Rebounds: GHS, 33 (Williams 9, Harris 5, Woodard 5, Larson 4, Stout 3, Lee 3); LV, 33 (Washington 7, Smith 6). Blocks: GHS 2 (Williams 1, Herring 1); LV, 1 (Parr 1). Steals: GHS, 12 (Harris 4, Spencer 3, Larson 2); LV 7 (Bullard 4). Turnovers: GHS, 17; LV, 14. Total fouls: GHS 20, LV 17. Fouled out: none. Technical fouls: none. Records: Georgetown, 6-2; Waco La Vega, 5-2.
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TUESDAY’S SUB-VARSITY GAME
At Waco La Vega, Bellmead
(GHS scoring only)
JUNIOR VARSITY
GEORGETOWN 67, LA VEGA 5
GHS (67) — Natalie Rivera 2 0-0 5, Erica Ramthun 4 0-0 4, Brooke White 4 0-0 10, Avery Lopez 4 0-0 8, Taylor Meyners 5 1-2 11, Madelyne Furr 7 0-0 14, Amiya Gonzales 3 2-2 8, Jane Butler 2 1-2 7. Totals: 29 4-6 67.
Halftime: GHS, 37-4. GHS 3-point goals: Butler 2, Meyners 2, Rivera 1.
GHS season record: 8-0.
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UPCOMING GHS GAMES
(Subject to change)
VARSITY
Friday — Belton, 8 p.m. Tuesday — Leander Glenn, 8 p.m. (District 25-5A opener).
JUNIOR VARSITY
Friday — Belton, 6:30 p.m. Saturday — at Florence, 11:15 a.m. Tuesday — Leander Glenn, 8 p.m.
FRESHMAN BLUE
Friday — Belton, 5:15 p.m. Saturday — at Florence, 10 a.m. Tuesday — Leander Glenn, 5:15 p.m.
FRESHMAN WHITE
Friday — Salado, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday — at Jarrell, 6:30 p.m.