Lady Mustangs Gallop into Regional Finals

By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter

AUSTIN – After blowout wins in the Area Round and Regional Quarterfinals, the Slocum Lady Mustangs finally faced a test in the Regional Semifinals against the #7 team in Class 1A, the Nueces Canyon Lady Panthers.

The Lady Mustangs, ranked # 17 in the final Texas Association of Basketball Coaches poll came into the game with a record of 23-9 while the Lady Panthers slid into the game with a 26-5 mark.

Apparently, Nueces Canyon didn’t feel the girls from East Texas could shoot the ball and laid back on defense. Slocum took full advantage of this lapse in judgement and torched the Lady Panthers for 17 points in the opening eight minutes of play.

Makayla Bickerstaff led the way for Slocum in the first period with eight points. She was joined in the scoring column by Jessi Ives with five while Courtney January and Jaidan Wickersham both added two.

The Lady Panthers looked a little rattled but still managed to put up 10 in the quarter. Jayden Aguilera had four for Nueces Canyon and was joined by Bethany Fisher and Gabriella Irwin with three apiece to make the score 17-10 at the end of the period.

In the second quarter, the Lady Panthers seemed to have shook off the nerves and started to play ball. Megan Sifuentes led Nueces Canyon with seven second period points while Vicki Ruiz had three. Aguilera, Fisher and Tori Carbajal all had two while Irvin chipped in one to shave a point off the Slocum lead.

While the Lady Panthers played better offensively in the second, their defense was still a little shaky as the Lady Mustangs put up 16 in the quarter to make the halftime score 33-27.

Shelby Bowman, Taylor Clark, Briley Evers and Gina Lively all had three while Bickerstaff and Cheyenne Nunley both had two points to close out the first half scoring.

After the break, the Lady Panthers came out with a new intensity on defense and held Slocum to nine quarter points. Clark had four, Bowman hit her second three of the game and Nunley converted two free throws.

Nueces Canyon, meanwhile, used their suddenly stingy defense to capitalize on the offensive end of the court. Aguilera had six as both Irwin and Sifuentes scored five apiece to make the score 43-42 – in favor of the Lady Panthers – after three periods of play.

Coach Dustin Bates’ squad is nothing if not resilient. While there were some concerned faces in the stands, the Lady Mustangs knew they had the Lady Panthers right where they wanted them.

The pressure of being a higher ranked team and being favored to make the trip to San Antonio caused Nueces Canyon to blink twice. When their eyelids closed a second time, the Lady Mustangs sprinted past them and recaptured the lead.

The fourth quarter was a back and forth affair until the end when Slocum pulled away. Ruiz and Sifuentes had three apiece while Irwin added two to round out the fourth quarter scoring for the Lady Panthers.

Ives, who had been quiet on the offensive front since the first quarter, found her touch and dropped in six points for Slocum. Bowman hit her third three of the game while both Bickerstaff and Clark added two apiece to close out the game and give Slocum the 55-51 win.

The Lady Cougars were led in scoring by Megan Sifuentes with a game high 15 points. Jayden Aquilera had 12 and Gabriella Irwin dropped in 11. Vicki Ruiz netted six, Bethany Fisher had five and Tori Carbajal had two to round out the Nueces Canyon point production.

Slocum was led by Makayla Bickerstaff with a team high 12 points. Jessi Ives poured in 11 while both Shelby Bowman and Taylor Clark netted nine.  Cheyenne Nunley had four, Briley Evers and Gina Lively each had three while Courtney January and Jaidan Wickersham added two apiece to help send the Slocum Lady Mustangs into the Regional Finals game against the Moulton Lady Bobkatz.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].