Lady ‘Riders basketball earns comeback victory

Photo by Jesse O. Walls, Photographer Dorian Briggs, sophomore #5 general studies major, attempts to shoot for game points during the Feb. 15 game against Mineral Area at Bob Sneller Gymnasium.

Photo by Jesse O. Walls, Photographer
Dorian Briggs, sophomore #5 general studies major, attempts to shoot for game points during the Feb. 15 game against Mineral Area at Bob Sneller Gymnasium.

Ryan Land
Sports Editor

After getting behind on the scoreboard during the first half of the game, the Lady ‘Riders basketball team came back to score a 67-64 win against Mineral Area Community College on Feb. 15 in Bob Sneller Gymnasium.

The Lady Cardinals took possession of the ball at tipoff, which led to two free throw shots with 19:38 to go on the clock, giving Mineral Area the first two points of the game. Crowder’s Ariana Gallegos, freshman #24 general studies major, would answer back 30 play clock seconds later with two points, tying the game at 2-2.

Throughout the remainder of the first half, the two teams would trade possession of the ball. The Lady ‘Riders, whom had their largest deficit of 12 points with 1:30 to go in the first half, would not have enough fuel to take command of the lead to the game, as they came within three points of leading during multiple times.

Mineral Area held an 11 point lead over the Lady ‘Riders at halftime, 34-23.

“We didn’t play well on the defensive end on the floor and on the offensive end of the floor,” said Tina Robbins, head women’s basketball coach and physical education instructor. “Offensively, we wern’t moving; we were doing a lot of standing.”

It took the first 59 seconds of the second half for Gallegos to score two points, decreasing Crowder’s deficit to only nine points. The next five and a half minutes of play clock time would give fans the first of many glimpses of the lesson that the team, which consists of eight freshman and one sophomore, has had to learn throughout the course of the season, which is never throwing in the towel before the end of the game. The team’s testimony was decreasing Mineral Area’s lead to 39-40 with 11:55 left to play.

Mineral Area would not give the lead up to Crowder that easily though. Using constant free throws and two point shots as their ammunition, the Park Hills, Mo. based school would spend most of the second half answering back to the multiple attempts of the Lady ‘Riders stealing the lead.

A three point shot by Crowder’s Courtney Jones, freshman #3 general studies major, would shorten Mineral Park’s lead to one point, 63-62, with 1:10 remaining to play. After a timeout with 1:07 remaining, Jones would score the two points needed to give Crowder the lead for good, as well as give them their 9th win of the season.

“I think we played much better defensively in the second half,” Robbins stated. “We outscored them I think 44-30 in the second half and it all started on the defensive ends.”

Gallegos led the scoring of points with 16, while Mariana Silva, freshman #33 general studies major, scored 14 points. Dorian Briggs, sophomore #5 general studies major, finished with 12 points, while Jones would contribute ten points and Tae’lor Monroe, freshman #10 general studies major, earned seven points. Katie Hughes, freshman #15 general studies major, scored five points, while Thays Barbosa, freshman #50 general studies major, rounded out the scoring with three points.

Saturday’s game also served as the annual ‘Play 4 Kay’ game, which is an organization that involves raising awareness about breast cancer, as well as raising money to help fight the deadly disease. For Briggs, who hails from Fort Smith, Ark., being a part of the game, as well as winning, was honorable enough.

“It was a pretty good game,” admitted Briggs. “We enjoyed it more because we played more for the people that battle the [breast] cancer and we put names down and played for them today. It pushed us a lot today.”

The Lady ‘Riders improve their overall season record to 9-18 and 2-6 in Region 16 play as they prepare to host their final home game of the season at 6 p.m. on Feb. 19 against Moberly in Bob Sneller Gymnasium. They will then travel to Poplar Bluff, Mo. on Feb. 22 to play Three Rivers for the final regular season matchup. Game time is slated for 2 p.m.

If you cannot make it to a game in person, you can watch the action live on ihigh.com/crowder.