Basketball is a game which lends itself to identifying turning points, or breaks in the game, which in retrospect decide the end result. The Mineola Lady Jackets fell to the Chapel Hill Lady Devils, Friday, 63-53, and there were three such moments. 

After a great start by the Lady Jackets, which saw the game tied at 11 with 2:06 in the opening quarter, Mineola forced a long 3-point attempt by Chapel Hill. The Lady Devils hit the long shot from the corner and the Lady Jacket defender fouled the shooter on the attempt. It was a 4-point play.

Then in quick succession, Mineola turned the ball over thrice, and Chapel Hill chalked up seven more points to end the quarter. 

In a blink, Chapel Hill had opened a 12-point lead.

With great resilience, the Lady Jackets pulled themselves back within striking range. Near the midway mark of the second quarter two short jump shots – one from Jayla Jackson and one from Carmen Carrasco – narrowed the Chapel Hill advantage to five points. 

The Lady Devils promptly sank consecutive 3-pointers, restoring a 12-point lead at the halftime break. 

The Lady Jackets built some momentum through the fourth quarter, largely through sheer hustle and the ability to seek the ball. 

Mineola closed to within eight points with a Kyra Jackson score. Back on the defensive end, the Lady Jackets again fouled a 3-point shooter, who subsequently sank all three of her free throws.  

The three free throws dulled the momentum which Mineola had built and prevented them from challenging the lead before the game entered the ‘purposely fouling’ stage. 

The Lady Jackets did close once again courtesy of an offensive rebound put-back by Paris Spigner, but it was the last surge of the night. The two teams traded scoring through the final buzzer. 

Several Lady Jackets put in notable performances. Macy Fischer has arguably her best game of the year. She relentlessly drove to the basket, won ball-handling duals in the front court and created turnovers. 

The Jackson girls combined for 30 points, with Jayla accounting for all Lady Jacket first quarter scoring. 

Mylee Fischer put in a strong defensive performance against the large Chapel Hill post, while Carrasco and Spigner always seemed to be co-located with the action up and down the court. 

After hosting Quitman this past Tuesday and traveling to Harmony, Friday, the next opportunity to see the Lady Jackets at home will be Tuesday, Jan. 24 as they face Winona.