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Lady Dawg hoopsters rally for win in season opener
By TJ MAXWELL
 
Senior Alex Wilson knows she needs to be a factor every night if the Lady Dawgs are going to be successful in their 2015-16 campaign. The Lady Dawgs rallied from a nine-point third-quarter deficit to win 60-55 against the A&M Consolidated Lady Tigers to begin the season with a win.
 
“I’ll take an ugly win over a pretty loss any day,” said Cove head coach Eldridge McAdams. “You can expect this in the first game at home. We did start it out like we were nervous. Once we got settled down, I saw some good things. I also saw some things we need to work on, which is good. That’s what you want to see.”
 
After trailing by as much as nine points mid-way through the third quarter, Wilson and the Lady Dawgs took control of the contest with a 16-4 run for a 43-40 lead with 21 seconds left in the third quarter.
 
“We sat around the locker room during halftime and we were just like hey, ‘We got this. We can beat them because they’re tired and we’re conditioned,’” said Wilson. “A switch flipped a little bit.”
 
Defensively was the biggest change for Cove as they held the Lady Tigers to just 15 points over the last 13 minutes after giving up 40 points through the first 21 minutes of action.
 
Wilson led the charge offensively with a seven points of her game-high 23 points off a runner in the lane, a trip to the charity stripe and a dagger from beyond the arc that cut the lead to four.
 
“We started off rough but we picked it up and got it together,” said Wilson. “We started getting momentum going and started having fun. We got our first-game jitters out and I’m glad about that.”
 
The Lady Dawgs took the lead with points in the paint by Kayla McLoud on the feed by senior Keturah Taylor and a runner in the lane by senior Twillesa Shipman.
 
A pair of big layups by junior Chyanne Chapman to start the fourth quarter, sparked the Lady Dawgs while an assist from Chapman to senior Daisha Hunter and trips to the free throw line by Wilson gave the Lady Dawgs their largest lead of the night, 54-48, with 2:42 left in the game.
 
Two more successful trips to the charity stripe by Wilson and Hunter iced the game for the Lady Dawgs 60-55.
 
Wilson, who has an expanded role this year with the departure of guards Mikalya Blount and Angel Mullen, added a team-high seven rebounds and two steals to her leading scoring efforts.
 
“I’ve always been a role player and I’ve always tried to make them better,” said Wilson. “I’ve played with Mikayla (Blount) since fourth grade. It was always get Mikayla the ball and help her out. This year, it’s my turn and I know I have to step up, be a leader and help out my team as much as I can.”
 
McAdams thinks she has the chops to do just that.
 
“Alex is definitely one that can get hot shooting and hustles. She can play any position and she’s scrappy. That’s what need to have her do. After losing Mikalya and Angel, somebody has to step up. Somebody has to step up on the rebound side and someone has to step up on the scoring side. Alex and (Keturah Taylor) definitely stepped up and got us some points. We’re looking for Alex to score. I would love it if she averaged 23 points this season, but she knows she need to score in double figures.”
 
Taylor was the only other player in double figures but McAdams got some big bench points from Chapman who had third-best eight points in a reserve role and fellow post player Hunter chipped in six.
 
“We are definitely going to need that presence,” McAdams said about his post play from Chapman. “I’m just happy to have her. She’s excited and we’re excited to have her back - her and (Hunter) with that high-low tandem. I wouldn’t call them the twin towers but they are going to be a force to be reckoned with.”
 
Hunter tied for team-high rebound honors with seven.
 
Shipman also contributed six points and four boards while Kaycie Gatewood had five points and a team-high four steals.
 
The win gives the Lady Dawgs momentum heading into their host tournament that began yesterday afternoon and Wilson thinks the opening win will help her squad as they attempt to bring home the Bush’s Classic crown.
 
“It definitely boosts our confidence as a team. If we just come out ready to play we can compete with and, perhaps beat, anyone. It was an eye-opener for us. We’re ready.
 
“We’re playing some different teams that we’ve never seen before and we’re just trying to get ready for district because that’s when it counts. We want that district championship and make it a few rounds in the playoffs. We’re excited, we’re ready and that game gave us a good spark going into the tournament.”
 
Beginning the season with a win can be a double-edged sword, warned McAdams.
 
“It’s definitely good to open up with a win, especially at home. It can be good and bad because you can come in and get lackadaisical and say we got that win but I don’t think so with these girls,” he said. “I think we’re going to keep striving and get ready for district. District will be tough so any games we can play to get ready, we’re prepared to do.”
 
The Lady Dawgs should get plenty of work this weekend they were schedule for two games last night and will play two more today. They face Jefferson El Paso at 3:45 p.m. and Austin Akins at 7:30 p.m.
 
“We all haven’t really been together and we’re still working on different things and different lineups,” said McAdams. “The more we can play together, the better we’re going to be as a team. We should get in at least four or five games this weekend.”

 

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