Lady Jacket head coach Alan Wilson will likely be pleased with what he saw Saturday, as his Lady Jackets persevered to record a 40-17 win over the visiting Harmony Lady Eagles. After a closely-played first half, Mineola put up 23 second-half points and held the Lady Eagles to only five.

The Lady Jackets started out slowly as they could not range-in on their jump shots. At the end of the first quarter Mineola held a 10-5 advantage, thanks largely to hustle and aggressive play.

Harmony closed the score to 10-9 early in the second quarter. A beautiful 3-pointer by Jayla Jackson restored a 4-point lead. An offensive rebound put-back by Alia Freeman just before the half made the score 17-12.

Harmony remained in the game largely because they had reasonable success breaking the Mineola full court press. They did so using cross-court passing. When executed smartly, that tactic can nullify the press, but it is difficult to execute consistently. 

The Lady Jackets came out in the third quarter and jetted ahead with a 10-point run. Kayla Jackson, Macy Fischer and Mylee Fischer registered scores. Two key plays in the sequence were an assist by Ava Johnson underneath to Macy Fischer, and moments later Fischer hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key. 

The early third-quarter scoring streak provided the deciding margin for the game. The Jackets’ activity proved too much for the Lady Eagles. 

Mineola’s Paris Spigner once again gave the Jackets valuable minutes. She provided an assist to Kapri Riley, who netted a 3-pointer, and pulled down two consecutive defensive rebounds as the quarter drew to a close. 

Mineola led by 17 points at the start of the fourth quarter – a large but not insurmountable margin.  Harmony came out and missed two breakaway, uncontested lay-ups to start the quarter. It was a bit of a wake-up for the Lady Jackets.

Mineola buckled down and produced some of their best offense of the night in the final quarter. Kayla Jackson hit a jumper off the glass, Gracie Finley finished on a breakaway, and Riley nailed two 3-pointers to close out the scoring.  

The Jackets struggled through some early shooting difficulties but never stopped taking shots. That fact is good news for a team which will start the playoffs as an underdog. A willingness to confidently step up and shoot combined with the Lady Jackets’ hustle and work ethic shape up well for Mineola in the second season.

Mineola concluded its regular season Tuesday at Chapel Hill after wrapping up the fourth-place playoff spot.

The Lady Jackets will face Atlanta in Hallsville for a bi-district playoff game Monday at 6:30 p.m.