Lady Loboes Fight Hard, Fall to Lamesa 52-48 in District Game
    By Randy Hogan, Staff Writer - The Monahans News, January 6, 2006

The Lady Loboes gave Lamesa all they wanted early on in Tuesday's district showdown at the Jerry Larned Sports Complex.  But in the end, it was the Lady Tornadoes that held on to defeat Monahans 53-48.

Catherine Cutbirth scored the game's first points, pulling down a rebound and putting it back up for the basket.

The Lady Loboes applied heavy defensive pressure getting consecutive steals from Cutbirth and Chelsea Cartwright to set the tone for the first half.

Cartwright picked up an assist, dishing off to Kym Madrid for a score to move the Ladies out to a 4-0 lead with 6:48 to play.

Jordan Latham got her inside game going early, pounding the ball in the lane for two scores to stretch the Green's lead.

Cartwright displayed the quickness that took her all the way to Austin in track last May, stealing the ball and driving the court for the bucket to put MHS up 10-4.

Madrid scored the final points of the first period, knocking down the field goal with 40 seconds to play.  MHS led 12-6 after one period.

Cutbirth scored the initial points for the Lady Loboes with just over a minute lapsed in the second period.

On the play, Cutbirth drove the ball, turned, and knocked down the jump shot over the Lamesa defender to give the Ladies a 14-8 lead.

Jordan followed with a bank shot off the backboard, and Madrid sank a bucket after a Lobo steal.  Cutbirth sank another jump shot to give the Ladies a 20-8 lead.

Cutbirth's basket gave Monahans a 12-point lead midway through the second period, but the Lady Tors turned up the heat scoring 16 points in the game 22-22 at the intermission.

Monahans drew first blood in the second half, as Cutbirth pulled down a rebound and put it back up and in the basket to give the Ladies the early lead 24-22.

Lamesa found their shooters and rallied to take a three-point lead, but Dina Ortiz nailed a three-point shot with 2:34 to tie the game at 31-31.

Cutbirth ended the third period with a jump shot from the right side of the key, and the Ladies trailed 33-35 as the period expired.

Lamesa stretched their lead to five points, before Cutbirth drained a jumper to close the gap to 35-38.

On the play, Ortiz picked up an assist by dishing the ball out to the wide-open Cutbirth for the basket.

Midway through the final period Cutbirth added two baskets to keep the Green within four points, and Cartwright picked up a field goal to cut the margin to two pints.

Monahans would tie the game at the 3:35 mark, as a long pass down court from Cutbirth to Ortiz set up the score.

Ortiz took in the pass, side stepped the defender under the basket and filled the net to tie the game at 43-43.

Lamesa flexed their muscle and took the lead late in the game.  However, Monahans would not hit another field goal in the final three minutes.

The Lady Loboes shot well from the free throw line, picking up their final 8 points at the line from Cartwright, Cutbirth, and Madrid.

Cutbirth led Monahans with 20 points.  Madrid added 10.  Cartwright had 7, Latham finished with 7, and Ortiz had 5 points to conclude the scoring.

"I am very proud of the Lady Loboes," Coach Treasure Thaggard said.  "I really believed that we did enough to win the game.  It's not from a lack of effort or talent,"  Thaggard said.  "They are doing everything I have ask of them and are playing hard."

Monahans (2-2 District 3-3A) will travel to Seminole to challenge the district leading Maidens in a key game for both schools.

Keyed by Melissa Ramirez, Senior