By Clay Whittington
Belton Journal
The path toward the playoffs awaits.
Since 2016, the Lady Tigers have worked to return to the postseason, but they have not experienced success.
Tomorrow, Belton begins again.
The Lady Tigers travel to Killeen Shoemaker for a 7 p.m. start to their District 12-6A schedule, and then, they return to the court Tuesday for a home encounter against two-time defending district champion Harker Heights.
“This district is a meat grinder,” Belton head coach Eric Regier said. “There are no favorites, and there are no underdogs.
“We just have to keep improving and be prepared to compete every night.”
The Lady Tigers allowed a potential victory to slip from their grasp Tuesday, when Marble Falls collected a 38-36 win following a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to clinch the outcome.
Belton created a one-point cushion, 36-35, thanks to McKenna Maddux’s successful free throw with 1 minute, 17 seconds remaining in regulation, and the advantage held until Lady Mustangs junior guard Tea Rodriguez’s 3-pointer won the game as time expired.
“We started the game strong,” Regier said, “but we have to learn to play with a lead and finish the game.”
The Lady Tigers were in complete control early.
After Marble Falls recorded the game’s first point, Belton responded with a dozen consecutive points in a run bridging beyond the midway point of the second quarter. Eventually, the Lady Tigers took a 19-8 lead into halftime, but they were outscored 18-5 to fall into a 26-24 deficit early in the fourth period.
Belton bounced back as the squads alternated leads for the duration of the contest, posting its final four points at the free-throw line to set the stage for the Lady Mustangs’ game-winning shot.
Maddux finished with a team-high 10 points to go with five rebounds and five assists, while teammate Ayanna Jones had eight points and five assists, while Anna Beamesderfer contributed seven points, three rebounds and two blocks in the loss.
Collectively, however, Belton missed a dozen of its 23 free-throw attempts.
“We began hitting them later in the game,” Regier said, “but the ones we missed early really came back to haunt us.
“That is an easy place to look for answers when you lose a two-point game.”
The outcome drops the Lady Tigers’ record to 5-8 and gives them a sixth loss in their last seven games, including a 1-3 showing at last weekend’s Georgetown tournament.
Despite a 16-point, eight-rebound performance from senior post Lily Small, Belton opened the three-day event with a 57-47 loss to San Antonio Incarnate Word before suffering a 47-28 defeat to the host Lady Eagles. Beamesderfer posted a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds in the loss and followed it up by scoring 26 points and grabbing nine rebounds in a 59-54 loss to Manor.
Belton concluded its stay by beating Austin Akins 47-25, immediately building a double-digit advantage, 14-2, before cruising to the win behind a balanced offensive attack with five players tallying at least six points.
But after Tuesday’s heartbreaking loss, the Lady Tigers must regain momentum.
“I was really proud of the way the girls played defensively,” Regier said, “especially in the first half, but they just let up a little in the second half.
“I don’t think we could have defended that last shot any better. Sometimes, things like that just happen.”
