The Lady Cubs Basketball squad was 12 points down midway through the fourth and found a way to win a Bi-District Championship. Brownfield beat District 4-3A Champion Crane 51-48 in overtime Tuesday night, Feb. 13 in Andrews after coming back down by 12.
The Lady Cubs came out strong in the first 15 seconds with a 3-pointer by Amery Pauda. Brownfield would keep Crane from scoring and Maya Martinez would be the next to score with a layup bringing the score to 5-0. However, Crane would come back with two layups. Alliey Coffey would get the ball and drive it to the bucket. The Lady Cubs then got the ball back and Pauda was fouled under the basket. She added one more point making the score 8-4. Brownfield used some more defence, and Pauda again with a layup bringing the score to 10-4 with 3:13 in the 1st. Crane went on a 4-0 run, then Coffey took one into the lane with a layup bringing the score 12-8. Crane had the last bucket of the quarter ending the 1st 12-10, Brownfield on top.
Crane was the first to score in the 2nd quarter tying the score 12-12 with 6:20 left in the 2nd. KK Fininen was able to get on the board with a layup now leading 14-12. Crane would get a quick 2-points and Coach Wyatt called a timeout at 4:59. Martinez got the ball and knocked down another shot, leading again 16-14, however, Crane tied it up again 16-16, with 2:50 left in the 2nd. Pauda got fouled and was sent to the charity stripe and added two more points. Crane would then travel down court to bust a 3-pointer, bringing the 19-18 in favor of the Lady Birds. Brownfield was able to get past the press and Kyndal Huerta was fouled and went 1 of 2 from the line, tying the game at 19 a piece. The Lady Cubs then got the ball off a rebound under Cranes baskett and Coffey got the ball and scored 2 with a layup taking the lead 21-19. Crane however, brought the ball down the court and busted another 3-pointer bringing the score at the half, 22-21 in favor of Crane.
In the 3rd quarter, Crane was first to score at the 6:24 mark, extending the lead 24-21. Pauda was able to drive through the lane and score 2. Crane turned the ball over on their side of the court, and Huerta took a nice jump shot scoring 2 after a nice assist from Martinez, taking the lead again 25-24. Crane took it downcourt to score and the Lady Cubs would turn the ball over on their side. Crane took a timeout at the 4:13 mark. As soon as Crane passed the ball in, the got a 2-point shot, now leading 28-25. Pauda would drive the ball in, however was fouled and she was sent to the line making both free throws, shrinking the score to 28-27. Crane would take the ball and score 2, and the Lady Cubs would get the ball to Kayleigh Saldana and she busted a long 2-point jump shot. Crane copied that play and scored 2 and then Brownfield turned the ball over again and fouled bringing Crane to the line and making both shots bringing the score 34-29 in Cranes favor. The Lady Cubs then got the ball back, but got another turnover. Crane took that turnover and capitalized on it scoring 2 ending the 3rd quarter 36-29.
Moving into the 4th, Crane did not stop with their 6-0 run ending the 3rd. The Lady Birds would go on a 5-0 run and get up 12 points ahead before the Lady Cubs scored again. Huerta was fouled and went to the line dropping only 1 bucket, bringing the score to 41-30 in favor of Crane with 4:41 left in the game. Coach Wyatt would call another timeout. Brownfield would get the steal and Pauda would bust a 3-pointer. Crane went downcourt to put in a layup, still leading 43-33. Brownfield got the ball back, and Saldana got fouled leading her to the stripe and putting in both buckets. The Lady Cubs would create another turnover and Pauda got fouled and before she was sent to the, Coach Wyatt took another timeout. Pauda dropped both buckets bringing the score to 43-37 in favor of crane with 22-seconds left in the game. Brownfield was able to steal the inbound pass and Coffey got the layup, with Coach Wyatt taking their last timeout with 14-seconds, and the score now 43-39. Again with Cranes inbound pass, Saldana was able to steal the ball and lay it up bringing the score to 43-41. With clock still going, with about 6-seconds, Crane got the inbouns stolen again, and Pauda to the ball in the bucket tying the game with 3 seconds left . The 4th quarter would end 43-43 going into overtime.
In overtime, Brownfield was the first to strike with Fininen’s jump shot at the 2:43 mark. Crane would get fouled and tied the game 45-45. Crane would get the ball back and was sent back to the foul line dropping just 1-point and taking the lead 46-45. Coffey would get the ball and drive in the lane putting up. the bucket and getting the foul and making the 3-point play the old-fashioned way and now Brownfield leading 48-46. Crane would get the ball and score one last time tying the game 48-48. Pauda was then fouled and went to the line and added 2-points, leading 50-48. Brownfield’s defense stepped up one more time and got the ball back with Pauda getting the foul and dropping 1-point to lead 51-48 with 13 seconds left. Crane could not capitalize on the last 13 seconds of overtime with Brownfield winning 51-48.
Coach Wyatt said, “We just needed to turn the pressure up and we just gotta take chances and we just gotta go for it”. Wyatt went on to say, “We got in our press and I told them to take a bunch of chances because I thought we could tunr them over and we did and got some baskets to fall. Once we went into overtime… I really thought we had right where we wanted them. We had the momentum and just super proud of them.” Pauda led the scoring with 22 points followed by Coffey with 11.
