Lady Bobcats stay alive with win over Lady Bucs

The Orangefield girls basketball team avenged an earlier district loss with a gritty win on Friday, February 3, against East Chambers. The Lady Bobcats beat the Lady Bucs 47-36 at the Orangefield Gymnasium.

In the previous game at Winnie the Lady Bobcats could manage only 16 points. Orangefield bettered that on Friday with 18 in the first quarter. Brianna Moore got the ball rolling in the right direction for the Lady Bobcats hitting a three pointer to start the scoring.

Brooklyn Wagoner kept the momentum rolling for the Orangefield scoring seven points in the first quarter. The Lady Bobcats led by eight points after eight minutes of play.

East Chambers did not roll over and tied the game 22-22 with fifty seconds before halftime. Orangefield's Kaylea Gravett showed her speed on a fast break scoring just before the buzzer to give the Lady Bobcats the lead again 24-22 as the teams went to their locker rooms at the half.

The Lady Bobcats opened the second half with a basket by Greenlea Oldham. After the Lady Bucs scored three points Oldham scored again to put Orangefield up by three.

Then the Lady Bucs gained the momentum scoring five straight points to take their first lead of the game 30-28 with 1:43 left in the third. Moore tied the game for Orangefield but a free throw with four seconds left gave East Chambers a one point lead going to the final quarter.

Senior Harleigh Rawls was the dominate force in the fourth. Rawls sank a bucket forty seconds into the quarter to regain the lead for Orangefield. Harleigh actually outscored the Lady Bucs single handedly 9-5 in the last eight minutes. Steelye Franklin scored all four of her points for the Lady Bobcats in the final quarter to help secure the eleven point triumph.

Rawls was the high scorer for Orangefield with 12 points and had 7 rebounds. Oldham registered a double-double with 10 points to go with her 13 rebounds. Wagoner concluded her night with 9 points.

Friday was Senior Night at Orangefield. Two Lady Bobcats were honored prior to the game Harleigh Rawls and Alexus Maddox.

The final game of the regular season for Orangefield was Tuesday at Anahuac. With a Lady Bobcat win on Tuesday and a Warren loss to Hardin, Orangefield (6-7) would get the fourth seed in District 22-3A and make the playoffs.