Before their District 2-6A matchup against Midland High, the Permian girls basketball team had some adjusting to do off the court.
One of those adjustments included having to reschedule the contest from Tuesday to Wednesday, as the Lady Panthers were following COVID-19 protocols after playing in one game at the Caprock Classic in Lubbock last week.
The schedule tweak didn’t affect the Lady Panthers too much as they came away with a 33-31 win against the Lady Dawgs at the Permian Fieldhouse.
“Having to move this game and not being here with my girls for practice, we were going in with a lot of emotions,” Permian girls coach Keshia Collins said. “I’m proud of their maturity, handling the pressure and stepping up to the occasion and getting a big win.”
Permian took control of the game early by going on a 7-0 scoring run at the start of the first quarter, capitalizing on opportunities created by presses and aggressive defense.
Bailey Wight helped the Lady Panthers build their lead by sinking a midrange jumper, giving Permian some confidence through the opening period.
The offensive intensity slowed down in the second quarter, as Permian outscored the Lady Bulldogs 3-1 through the period to maintain their lead.
Although scoring was at a premium before the halftime buzzer, the Lady Panthers maintained their speed and strength on defense to force Midland High to take some uncomfortable shots.
Midland High came out of the halftime break on an 8-0 scoring run to tie the game, 16-16, before Permian could cause more movement on the scoreboard.
Caytlen Juarez helped Permian jump back in front with two made free throws and Jamie Redic extended the lead by finishing a contested layup on a fast break.
Midland High’s Noemi Arciga finished a turnaround jump shot to make it 20-18, but the Lady Panthers would convert one more free throw to take a three-point advantage into the fourth quarter.
The scoring picked up in the game’s final period, with the Lady Bulldogs taking a lead after Samantha Braudaway banked in a midrange shot to put her team up 24-23.
The Lady Bulldogs went on to outscore Permian 13-12 in the fourth and tied the game up at 31-31 with a 3-pointer from Alayveaun Roseberry in the final minutes.
Permian had control of the ball as the clock wound down and Chloe Mosley went up for a 3-pointer that came up short, but Kimora Pierce fought for the rebound and took the final shot of the game.
The ball went through the net as the buzzer sounded as the Lady Panthers secured their second district win of the season.
Pierce said she knew she had to go up strong to secure the rebound and put up the last-second attempt.
“I was shocked because I thought the ref called it off,” Pierce said. “I knew that since we were tied, I just had to go up, get the rebound and just go up strong.”
Permian (4-12 overall, 2-2 district) will play at San Angelo Central at 6 p.m. Friday.
Collins added that each member of her team knew their defensive assignments through the game, and that helped them for Midland High to look for secondary options.
The head coach knows the Lady Panthers still have some tough challenges ahead in the district.
“We have a tough game ahead with Central, we’re going to take this win and enjoy it and get back to work tomorrow,” Collins said.
>> Follow Chris Amaya on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya
Permian 33, Midland High 31
Wednesday, Permian Fieldhouse
Midland High (4-15, 0-3)
Samantha Braudaway 2 3-4 7, Makayla Williams 2 0-0 4, Tyleah Taylor 1 0-0 3, Carolyn Bautista 0 0-0 0, Jess Ikporo 0 0-0 0, Yahayra Aranda 0 0-0 0, Noemi Arciga 4 3-3 11, Alayveaun Roseberry 1 3-4 6, Hannah Lujan 0 0-4 0, Bolaji Subair 0 0-0 0. Totals 10 9-15 31.
Permian (4-12, 2-2)
Caytlen Juarez 0 2-5 2, Micah Smith 0 0-0 0, Bailey Wight 3 0-0 6, Alondra Garcia 0 0-0 0, Kelsey Vasquez 0 0-0 0, Jamie Redic 3 1-2 7, Nadia Turner 0 0-0 0, Akiva Brown 0 0-0 0, Ejae Miller 1 3-5 6, Chloe Mosley 2 2-4 6, Kimora Pierce 1 0-0 2, Dagmar Ortega 0 0-0 0, Sara Chavez 2 0-0 4. Totals 12 8-16 33.
Midland High………… 7…. 1 10 13 — 31
Permian……………… 13…. 3 5 12 — 33
3-Point goals — Permian 1 (Miller 1), Midland High 2 (Taylor 1, Roseberry 1). Total fouls — Permian 16, Midland High 13. Fouled out — None. Technical fouls — None.
