Karen Boehler
CCSR writer/editor
Although they fell to Loving 50-32 Monday, the Lady Colts probably played one of their best games all season.
“I really liked the way they played tonight. I think they hustled. They just played good,” said coach Marisha Olesinski.
Loving and NMMI, led by Angela Cross — who topped the Colts with 11 points —played a close first quarter, with the Falcons leading 12-9 after one.
Cross, Casey Jacobi and Christine Gonzales then combined in the second stanza to outscore the Falcons 12-6 and take a 21-18 lead heading into the locker room.
Loving coach Gary Carrasco wasn’t nearly as happy with his team as Olesinski was with hers.
“We didn’t play real good the first half,” he said. “We weren’t getting our breaks and we missed, I’d say, about seven or eight shots underneath the basket that were uncontested. We’ve got to be able to make those shots. And we need to do a better job of pushing the ball, getting our transition baskets and we didn’t do that the first half.”
They did better the second half, surprising the Colts by running a box and one on Cross.
“We came out on a box and one on No. 13 and they were having a harder time finding their offense without her, so I think that helped a little bit,” he said.
Olesinski agreed.
“That made a difference and Angela got a little frustrated,” she said. “We are not used to someone boxing one of our players. So I told my girls to open up, to set the screen for Angela to help her with that, but I think they really didn’t know how to do it, because it was the first time any team boxed us out.”
That tactic shut Cross down entirely, while Falcon Valerie Lopez caught fire, nailing three 3-pointers in a row to give Loving a 37-28 lead after three.
Carrasco was happy Lopez finally came out of a slump she’s been in since district.
“Against Tatum, she had 28 points,” he said. “I think she had seven 3-pointers and after that she was in a slump. And tonight she made a few more, so hopefully she gets out of that slump, because that’s been hurting us in district.”
Lopez led all scorers with 18 points and four treys.
The Lady Colts only have two more games left before their season ends — since they don’t compete in a district, play ends prematurely — but if they play those games like they did Monday, they could close out their season with at least one victory.
“We competed. We played good. We hustled and it was really, I think, a good game,” Olesinski said.
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