Paradise freshman guard Hartley Barnes attempts a shot in the Lady Panthers’ 69-17 District 10-3A Battle of Texas 114 rivalry win against Boyd Friday at Paradise High School. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
The Paradise Lady Panthers finished the first half of their District 10-3A schedule unblemished thanks to a home win in the opening Battle of Texas 114 rivalry series against Boyd Friday.
Holding steady in this week’s Texas Association of Basketball Coaches 3A girls poll released Monday, the Lady Panthers (23-4, 6-0) used their defense to create offense, overwhelming the Lady Jackets (11-15, 3-3) in the transition game to claim a 69-17 win.
“We talked all week long about getting better at certain things, and we really focused on our press,” Paradise coach Michael Barnes said. “It’s no secret that we like to run-and-gun and we like to press, so everybody’s going to be prepared for that… In the second half, we really slowed it down and maintained our gap responsibilities. We had a little bit more momentum and got into a rhythm after halftime. Boyd did a great job of slowing us down in the first half — we expected that from them, and we just fought through it and kept pursing.”
Paradise’s success started early, as the Lady Panthers sparked a 13-2 first-quarter run, led by five points from freshman guard Hartley Barnes. The Lady Panthers’ trio of HartleyBarnes, Brittan Richey and Renlee Longenbaugh pushed Paradise to a 33-10 halftime lead by combining for 16 points in the second quarter to fuel a 20-8 drive.
Hartley Barnes was 7-of-11 from the field in her first rivalry game against Boyd, finishing with 17 points. She also had five steals and four rebounds.
“We knew they were going to come out aggressive because it’s always a battle between our two schools,” Harley Barnes said. “The gym was packed, and there was definitely a different atmosphere in this game. But we just did what we needed to do, and took care of business.”
In the second half, Paradise sophomore Allie McCormick got hot quick on offense. The second-year guard netted 12 of her team-high 18 points in the final 16 minutes, finishing the contest with a 7-of-8 night from the free throw line. The Lady Panthers outscored Boyd 15-7 in the third quarter, and shut the Lady Jackets out in the final frame with a 21-0 closing statement.
Along with leading Paradise in scoring, McCormick passed out six of the Lady Panthers’ 11 assists, and tallied four of the Lady Panthers’ 25 steals, along with three rebounds.
“It feels good to stay undefeated,” McCormick said. “We really don’t take any team for granted. We worked really hard defensively, and I thought that really showed in a good team win. Our defense really helps to get our game going, especially getting those steals here and there.”
Coach Barnes credited the win to the team’s collective quickness up and down its roster this season.
“We’re a little bit more handsy in our guard play than we’ve been in years past,” he said. “We let our defense become our offense transitionally, and they do a great ob of seeing the floor well, getting down the court and kicking the ball out for open shots. Although we can be relentless, we can also be pretty lazy at times, too. But we’ve tried to stay the course — know our responsibilities, play hard and fly to the ball. That’s just who we are.”
Paradise opens its second round of district by hosting Whitesboro 6:15 p.m. Tuesday. The Lady Panthers will end the week against Valley View 6:15 p.m. Friday at Valley View High School.
“Our plan in these last six games is to adjust to the moment, and not have to adjust our whole scheme,” Coach Barnes said. “Whitesboro, Boyd and Valley View are all in the playoff hunt, and they can win at any point — as much as we want to keep our unbeaten district streak going, they’re coming in wanting to fight for a spot, too. It’s not going to be a walk through the park, but our girls understand that. Hopefully we can get a few kids healthy, and be ready to rock and roll.”
Boyd guard Caroline Butler fires a close-range shot in the Lady Jackets’ 69-17 District 10-3A Battle of Texas 114 rivalry loss to Paradise Friday. Butler led Boyd’s offense with nine points. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
Boyd’s offense was led by nine points from Caroline Butler. After being held to just two free throws in the first half, Butler netted all of Boyd’s seven second-half points.
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“Paradise is a very strong team, and we knew this would be a challenge,” Boyd coach Kristin Murray said. “Our focus was on playing solid defense and limiting turnovers against the press, and I thought our first half reflected that more than the second. As fatigue set in, our defensive cohesion slipped, and we didn’t play to the standard we’re capable of. Overall, I’m proud of the effort, especially in the first half.”
The Lady Jackets start their second round of league play with a road battle against Callisburg Tuesday, followed by a home matchup against Ponder Friday. Both games are scheduled for 6:15 p.m.
After finishing .500 in the league’s first round, Murray wants to see her players continue to grow their confidence in the team’s second district loop.
“Defensively, we have to be solid and consistent for all four quarters, not just in stretches,” Murray said. “It’s also important that we stick to our game plan each night and hold ourselves accountable to our individual roles. If we do those things, we’ll put ourselves in a good position moving forward.”
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