Lady Bobcats extend win streak to 10 straight

Local girls basketball teams have a week left in their district schedules to finish in one of the top four positions to reach the post season. Final district games will be played Tuesday, February 6.

Orangefield has won ten straight district games to earn a share of first place in District 22-3A with Kountze. The Lady Bobcats won both of their games played last week.

On Tuesday, January 23, Orangefield played at home against Buna. The Lady Bobcats used a huge second quarter to beat the Lady Cougars 52-41.

Buna led 11-10 after the first quarter, but Orangefield ran off twenty points in the second to take a 30-19 advantage at the half. Mikayla Locke of the Lady Bobcats scored ten points in the quarter.

Locke added eight more points in the third quarter as Orangefield increased the margin to fourteen points 43-29 with a quarter to play. The Lady Bobcats played a conservative final eight minutes to win by eleven.

Orangefield successfully used twin posts Greenlea Oldham and Rebecca Durbin during much of the game. Durbin did a double double scoring 14 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and even blocking a shot. Oldham scored 7 points and pulled down 9 rebounds.

The high scorer for the Lady Bobcats was Mikayla Locke with 23 points to go with her 4 rebounds and 6 steals. Kaylea Gravett handed out 4 assists, and Paisley Reeves rebounded 4 missed shots.

The following Friday night Orangefield went to Hardin. The Lady Bobcats left winners again 62-32 over the Lady Hornets.

Everyone contributed to the victory as once again Mikayla Locke was high scorer throwing in 13 points with 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Greenlea Oldham got 10 points, 7 rebounds, and blocked 2 shots. Brooklyn Wagoner tallied 9 points while dishing out a team high 5 assists. Rebecca Durbin scored 8 points, blocked a shot, and made 7 assists.

Coach Eric Girola attributed the success the Orangefield girls are enjoying to their preparation and execution. "For district games we have a couple of days to prepare, we get a game plan together, we go over film, we discuss it, and then we go execute it at practices and that's where we win the game. We win the games at practice. The Lady Bobcats are on a hunt they want to win a district championship," Girola explained.

The Lady Bobcats played at Warren on Tuesday and will travel to Winnie on Friday to play East Chambers. Their final district game of the regular season will be Tuesday, February 6, at Orangefield against Anahuac.

Little Cypress Mauriceville is battling for a playoff berth and took a big step in that direction on Friday, January 26. The Lady Bears beat the Lady Cardinals 39-33 at Bridge City to improve their record to 5-4 in District 19-4A tied with Vidor for the fourth and final playoff spot. Bridge City dropped to 6-4 with two district games remaining.

Coach Eddie Michalko of LCM credited the strong defense played by all of the Lady Bears as the key to the important win. Keylie Washburn with 19 points and 9 rebounds led the way for the Lady Bears.

Nicole Sasser led the Lady Cardinals in scoring with 11 points. Kennedy Campbell had 8 rebounds and made 2 steals for Bridge City.

Earlier in the week Bridge City lost at Silsbee 49-31 to the first place Lady Tigers. Kaylee Britten was the high scorer for the Lady Cardinals with 9 points, and she made 3 steals. Nicole Sasser grabbed 8 rebounds for Bridge City.

West Orange-Stark has struggled with consistency all season. The Lady Mustangs actually led Vidor on Tuesday, January 23, by four points after three quarters but fell victim to the Lady Pirates' full court press in the fourth losing 53-42 at home.

Friday night the Lady Mustangs lost at Lumberton 70-53. West Orange-Stark is 1-9 in district with two games left.

The district playoff race could come down to the wire for both Bridge City and Little Cypress Mauriceville. The Lady Cardinals had a bye on Tuesday, January 30, and are at Vidor on Friday, February 2, before closing with the second place Lumberton Lady Raiders in Bridge City the following Tuesday. The Lady Bears played at home on Tuesday against Vidor and will play at Lumberton on Friday. LCM closes the regular season at home against the last place Jasper Lady Dogs who are winless in district.