Cy-Ranch Lady Mustangs win first playoff game, in first playoff appearance

Houston – 3-pointers suit Cy-Ranch.  With only one senior (Christina Martin, injured) on its roster, in the school’s young four-year history, the Lady Mustangs employed its perimeter game in 3’s. 

Kristen Kech scored 24 points, as Cy-Ranch knocked down (12) 3-pointers, in wearing down the Eisenhower Lady Eagles, 70-49 in the Class 5A Region III Bi-district round of the playoffs Tuesday night at the M. O. Campbell Center.

The win sets up a rematch of an early season loss, 58-40 to Seven Lakes who rolled over Westbury, 70-41 in its playoff matchup.

Only in its fourth year of existence, the Mustangs picked up its first playoffs win, in its first playoff appearance, after finishing third in district 17-5A.

Trailing by 13 points at the break, Eisenhower had no answer for the Lady Mustangs, who drilled seven consecutive 3-pointers, which accounted for all of its third quarter scoring, putting the game out of reach, 60-39.  Wing-lady Kristen Kech, who led Cy-Ranch with 24 points, stroked three of her six 3-pointers in the quarter, as Ashley O’Block knocked down three, followed by one from point guard Cienna Rivera.

“I thought we played really well as a team that’s something we’ve been focusing on lately.  I think we came out and played hard,” said Kristen Kech.  I’ve been working a lot on my 3-point shooting, it’s something I love to do and when I get going.  I like to keep it going and going and I got on a role.

Cy-Ranch (21-14) took advantage of six first half steals along with six offensive boards to kick its offense into gear. 

After the Lady Eagles scored its first basket of the game, Cy-Ranch went on a 7-0 run that watched Sabriyyah Fennell nail a trey from the right baseline, Sydney Coleman scored on an offensive rebound and Kristen Kech followed with a jumper from the free throw line.  The Lady Mustangs built a 12-3 lead, soon after.  In that span, Eisenhower only managed to score one point, which came from Kendricka Osbourne’s free throw, who led the Eagles with 18 points.

“After they led 7-2 (Cy-Ranch)”, said Kisha Jones Eisenhower’s coach, who didn’t know they would go on such a shooting spree (12) 3-pointers.  They zone us some on defense, they ran man very little.  They didn’t do anything out of the normal to frustrate us.  We missed shots and they made shots.  I think that was the key.  They did many things well on the offensive end.”

Meanwhile, the Eagles cut the deficit in half, when Taquera Tidwell spotted up from behind the arc, to draw within six, 12-6.  But the Lady Mustangs wasted no time in running off five quick points as Kech found room inside the 3-point line for a midrange shot, while Rivera launched a deep trey to give Cy-Ranch a 17-6 lead with 3:08 left in the first quarter, before closing out the quarter up 10 points, 27-17. 

“I thought my team played hard throughout.  They had a great shooting night (Cy-Ranch) and there was nothing we could about it”, said Eisenhower’s guard Kendricka Osborne.   

A bad shooting night and unable to rotate its defense over in time to cover Cy-Ranch shooters, Eisenhower struggled to stay on par.  Adding to a frustrating night, bright sophomore point guard, Shaqueria Debose was 0-for-7 and finished with no points.

As time progressed, poor free throw shooting took its toll on the Lady Eagles.  In the second half alone, Eisenhower converted only 3-of-11 from the charity stripe.  Sydney Coleman’s follow up of Rivera’s miss, gave Cy-Ranch a 15-point lead (38-23); it’s largest of the game at that moment.

In the third quarter, Cy-Ranch continued its hot 3-point shooting barrage, wearing down the Lady Eagles who played with its starters for most of the game, while the Lady Mustangs subbed in fresh players throughout the evening.

Later, up 62-39 with less than five minutes to play, Cy-Ranch went to its spread offense, running time off the clock, as fatigue overwhelmed the Eagles.

“Pretty amazing I have to say, because we’ve been working all year and preparing.  This is when you want all of it to come together and I think it all came together tonight.  The kids played good defense, knocked down shots.  I was pretty darn amazed.  We knew they were kind of slow rotating around to our shooters, so I told the kids to make that one extra pass.  It’s our first year in the playoffs, we’re only four years old”, Cy-Ranch coach Tresa Hornsby said.

In the early game, Cy-Woods (26-7) eliminated Nimitz 61-40 behind leading scorer Justice Crisp (14) and Erica Ogwumike (13).

“It was great game.  Nimitz all ways come out strong and they came out pretty tough but my girls were ready.  In the second quarter the tempo changed a little bit”, said Cy-Woods coach Virginia Flores.  Their point guard Alachanon King did a great job, going to the hole and creating for the rest of her team and it took us back a little.  We had to and make some adjustments.  I thought over all we did a great job, hitting some big shots when we needed to and our defense started our offense.”

Defense set the tone early for the Wildcats.  Its pressing and man-to-man defense led to easy baskets.

Tiara Riley led Nimitz, the third place team from district 18-5A with 14 points.  The Cougars ends its season at (15-12).

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