Lady Jackets secure area playoff title

Posted 2/23/23

“Details and energy,” recapped Mineola girls basketball coach Alan Wilson, moments after his Lady Jackets defeated Waskom, 49-42 in the area playoff Friday.

“We received …

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Lady Jackets secure area playoff title

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“Details and energy,” recapped Mineola girls basketball coach Alan Wilson, moments after his Lady Jackets defeated Waskom, 49-42 in the area playoff Friday.

“We received excellent contributions early off the bench and steady veteran leadership down the finish.” He said. “This was a great team win.”

It was indeed a complete game from the Lady Jackets. Facing a Waskom squad that possessed plenty of basketball acumen, quick hands and excellent shooters, it would take all the Lady Jackets could muster. Mineola put together 32-minutes of smart, physical basketball, and came away with a championship at Hallsville gymnasium.

Those contributions Coach Wilson talked about came from throughout the roster. Tanner Hartzog put in valuable minutes and stood her ground to collect two charging fouls against Waskom players driving to the hoop.       

Carmen Carrasco and Sophia Hogue tag-teamed with Paris Spigner to stick like glue on the Lady Wildcat playmaker Tiea Chapman.

Macy Fischer teamed with Kyra and Jayla Jackson to exercise the best court awareness demonstrated by the Jackets yet this year. 

And, as she has all season, Mylee Fischer played far above her weight by dominating rebounding at both ends of the court.

The Lady Jackets had to overcome some challenges. Mineola took the lead two minutes into the second quarter, when Kyra Jackson scored off of a set inbound play. 

Until that point, Waskom had the better run of play, leveraging their team quickness and forcing Lady Jacket errors. 

Waskom hit right back to tie the game again, but the Lady Jackets strung together a 9-0 run that featured two jump shots from Jayla Jackson, free throws from Kyra Jackson and Macy Fischer, and a length-of-the-court steal and score from Macy Fischer.

Mineola took a 23-14 lead into halftime. Coach Wilson’s team demonstrated an unruffled and unhurried confidence in the first half. Just before that 9-0 run, Mineola had ceased its full court press. They also weathered committing seven turnovers in the half. 

Also notable in that half was the superior positioning and rebounding game of the Lady Jackets, who came to dominate the boards all game.    

The second half saw Waskom stage two frantic comebacks. Midway through the third, Waskom hit a nice runner in the lane and promptly turned over Mineola on the ensuing press. The Mineola lead was closed to four points.

Following a Mineola time out, the Lady Jackets found Paris Spigner on a snowbird for a score, and Mylee Fischer put back an offensive rebound. 

Starting the final quarter, the Lady Jackets led 38-28. Waskom however, was far from done. They forced turnovers on the first three Mineola possessions of the final quarter and closed the score to 40-38 at the midway mark. 

Two plays in the final minutes sealed the win for the Lady Jackets. Leading by four, with 2:50 on the clock, Macy Fischer used guile and a quick step to steal on inbound pass in the backcourt. It had a telling psychological effect on the Lady Wildcats, and it added two Fischer free throws to the deficit.

Moments later, with just over two minutes to play, Jayla Jackson drove from the wing, missed her floater but chased down her rebound and finished with the second attempt. A foul on her shot made it a 3-point play. That score put Mineola back up by eight points.

Sound court awareness saw Mineola glide to a seven-point win.

There was plenty of great basketball offered by the Lady Jackets. One moment, however, seemed to exemplify this team. 

Midway through the third quarter, perhaps the shortest (and strongest) player on the court, Paris Spigner, ripped down an offensive rebound from among a trio of Waskom defenders. She found her way clear of the action and sent a pinpoint pass to Macy Fischer, who drained a jump shot. 

Spigner’s moment, a reflection of the Lady Jackets’ grit and competitiveness this season, defined this squad thus far in the post-season.

The Lady Jackets played Winnsboro Tuesday night in Longview for the regional quarterfinals.