LH/China Spring girls' playoff game

[K-MAC Chuck]

K-MAC Sports (kmacsports.com) will broadcast the bi-district girls' playoff game between Liberty Hill and China Spring next Tuesday night at Belton.

Pregame on K-MAC Sports will air at 7:45, game tip is set for 8 p.m.

Chuck Licata (K-MAC Sports co-owner, Liberty Hill Indepedent sportswriter) will do color and Merle Bertrand (K-MAC Sports; host of The Director's Cut) will handle play-by-play duties for the broadcast.

[JR2004]

Who in the Hee Seop Choi is China Grove? I know of a China SPRING, but not a Grove. :)

[kepdawg]

Originally posted by JR2004
Who in the Hee Seop Choi is China Grove? I know of a China SPRING, but not a Grove. :)

China Grove (http://www.city-data.com/city/China-Grove-Texas.html)

[K-MAC Chuck]

Originally posted by JR2004
Who in the Hee Seop Choi is China Grove? I know of a China SPRING, but not a Grove. :)

Good catch!
sorry, it is China Spring...had Doobie Brothers/city near East Central (TX) on my mind! LOL

[boudreaux]

The Doobie Brothers down around San Antonio

[K-MAC Chuck]

These two teams played earlier this season..here's the story..

Headline: Lady Panthers score ‘most exciting win of season’ over China Spring

By Chuck Licata
Independent Staff

The Liberty Hill Lady Panthers gained some momentum for the Sixth Annual Wimberley Hoop Fest by beating basketball power China Spring, 52-51, on Friday, Dec. 21 in China Spring.
The Lady Panthers improved to 13-5 on the season with the last-second victory over China Spring.
“China Spring is the type of program that all schools want to be like,” LHHS coach John Avritt proclaimed. “They win 25-plus games a year, they’re always ranked and they have the state championship two years ago. We talked about how if we wanted respect from the rest of the state this (beating China Spring) would be an important step – to beat a state champ on their floor. They start three girls of 6-feet or taller and five girls on their current roster played on that state championship team.”
They earned a lot of respect by pulling through in the clutch.
In a game that featured lead changes back and forth, Liberty Hill trailed China Spring by four points (51-47) with 11 seconds left.
“I reminded the girls that we were down by five points to San Saba (earlier this season) and found a way to beat San Saba, so this was no big deal,” Avritt stated.
After LHHS inbounded the ball, Kelsy Parks came down and banked in a three-pointer to cut the lead to one (51-50); Liberty Hill immediately called a time out. As the two teams took the floor, the referees asked the timekeeper to put one second back on the clock; the clock showed 3.83 seconds left in regulation.
Kristina Danielak, LHHS’ junior post, tipped China Spring’s inbounds pass and senior guard Kylie Prior grabbed the loose ball. Prior was immediately fouled, sending her to the free-throw line with one second left.
Kylie was clutch, nailing two free throws and giving Liberty Hill the 52-51 lead. China Spring inbouded the ball but Parks stole the ball, sealing the comeback victory.
“We talked before and after the game about how important the ‘Power of 1’ is,” Avritt commented. “It proved itself tonight. That extra one second was huge. (In that time) we got one more deflection, one more steal, one more free-throw and most importantly, a one-point win.”
Liberty Hill was led by Danielak with 15 points’ she added six steals to her totals.
Parks, the energetic point guard, threw in 12 points and dished out six assists.
Other LHHS contributors included Lindsey Cantrell (eight points); Prior (seven points); Courtney Williamson (six points); Samantha Swarts (two points, six rebounds and four big blocked shots); and Rachel Rubin (two points).
Leading the way for China Springs was Karlyn Meyers, an all-state player, with 20 points.

[watz4dinner]

this game will not be close!!!!! CS will win this game by 14+

[cshscougar08]

I like our chances in this game. We're rolling, sweeping the second half of district play. We lost our star point guard early in the year to an ACL tear and struggled to overcome that throughout most of the year. But the team is clicking right now. Should be a great game. Tuesday at 8 in Belton.

[cshscougar08]

Originally posted by watz4dinner
this game will not be close!!!!! CS will win this game by 14+

Go teach!!!!!!

[watz4dinner]

TIME MANAGEMENT!!!!!

[cshscougar08]

Originally posted by watz4dinner
TIME MANAGEMENT!!!!!

You just give 'em busy work?

[watz4dinner]

no...that was coach hansen

[cshscougar08]

Get in the box!!!

[duckpluck]

GO PANTHERS !!!

[K-MAC Chuck]

Just a reminder that we'll broadcast tonight's game..

China Spring enters with a 15-16 overall record, having won its last 5 district games..

Liberty Hill finished 6-2 in district, is 21-8 overall...Understand, first year coach John Avritt (from Copperas Cove) is beginning a new "dawn" of a program at LHHS and has some great underclassmen coming up...

For example, the LHHS JV won its last 14 games of the season while the Freshmen won 10 of its last 11 games..

We'll have sound bites from both coaches in the pregame show tonight...

[Milk That Cow]

What happened to the LH Girls B-ball Coach from last year's playof team?

[K-MAC Chuck]

Coach Tanya Lott, former LHHS coach, retired following last season.

Coach John Avritt came over from Copperas Cove to take over the Liberty Hill program this year.

[cshscougar08]

Hey maybe I'll be on the broadcast too! I yell pretty darn loud. Lady Cougars all the way!!!!!

[injuredinmelee]

game is already set for next tuesday or is this tonight?

[Panther One]

Tonight. The original post was made last week.

[K-MAC Chuck]

Originally posted by cshscougar08
Hey maybe I'll be on the broadcast too! I yell pretty darn loud. Lady Cougars all the way!!!!!


Make sure you at least come down and say "hi"...please!

[LH Panther Mom]

Originally posted by K-MAC Chuck
Make sure you at least come down and say "hi"...please!
Unfortunately, I won't be there in person, but I will be listening to you guys! GO LADY PANTHERS! :cheerl: :cheerl:

[solocam]

Go lady Cats

[LH Panther Mom]

19-15, LH......still a couple of minutes or so in the 1st half.

:clap:

[Panther One]

22-21 LH at the half.

[LH Panther Mom]

Halftime:

LH 22, CS 21


Lady Panthers have hit 5 3-pointers so far. :clap: :clap: Keep it up, girls!

[LH Panther Mom]

Originally posted by Panther One
22-21 LH at the half.
Nice sig! :D

[Panther One]

Originally posted by LH Panther Mom
Nice sig! :D
Thanks...whipped that up today.

[Panther One]

LH up 38-34 after 3rd.

[LH Panther Mom]

45-37 - keep it up, ladies!!!!!! :clap: :clap:

[LH Panther Mom]

WOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! WE WIN! Way to go, Lady Panthers! :cheerl: :cheerl: :cheerl: 58-45!

[Panther One]

Originally posted by watz4dinner
this game will not be close!!!!! CS will win this game by 14+
Close on the margin of victory...just had the wrong team...

Liberty Hill wins 58-45

[solocam]

Way to go Lady Panthers

[Silverback 04]

Didn't think this game should have been close as LH turned the ball over numerous times and got 2 starters into foul trouble early. However, after some time to think it over, the reason it was close until the last 2 minutes had less to do with LH playing bad and more to do with CS just playing more disciplined and smarter. That #33 from CS is the best all-around player I have seen this year. She continually did everything she could to keep her team in it. CS is also the best defensive team I've seen, just lacking somewhat on the offensive side, which I understand may have been different with their injured player. Very exciting game. My take is that LH needs to play more like CS if they expect to get deeper into the playoffs as they seemed very frantic and rushed alot of shots with the clock running down and a 5 point lead. Great 1st playoff win for the Avritt era. Go Panthers, beat Madisonville!

[watz4dinner]

Didn't get to see the game. Great job Liberty Hill. Congrats on the playoff win and good luck the rest of the way!!

[cshscougar08]

Originally posted by Silverback 04
That #33 from CS is the best all-around player I have seen this year. She continually did everything she could to keep her team in it.

You should see her play volleyball!!!!!

[K-MAC Chuck]

Headline: Lady Panthers ‘get by’ China Spring, 58-45, in bi-district round; Madisonville next

By Chuck Licata
Independent Sports

One familiar opponent down, one more up next.
The John Avritt “playoff era” at Liberty Hill started in a highly successful manner as the Lady Panthers played possibly their “most confident” game of the season, beating China Spring, 58-45, Tuesday night at Belton High School.
Avritt, the first-year mentor who took over for Tanya Lott as Liberty Hill’s girls’ coach, watched as a very confident LHHS squad beat China Spring in a rematch of two teams that played to a one-point decision (advantage: Liberty Hill) earlier this season.
Liberty Hill improved to 23-8 on the season; the Lady Panthers will play Madisonville in the area round this Friday (tomorrow) night at 7 p.m. at the Cameron Yoe gym. China Spring, the third-place team out of District 17-3A, finished its season at 15-17.
Madisonville, LHHS fans will recall, knocked the Lady Panthers out of the playoff last season in the area round – after Liberty Hill had earned a bye in last year’s postseason.
The Lady Panthers got outstanding efforts from a myriad of players while Avritt made some great halftime adjustments on Liberty Hill’s inside game – which was pretty much non-existent in the first half.
Senior Kylie Prior was nothing short of outstanding as she filled in for the foul-plagued Lindsey Cantrell, who picked up her fourth foul in the second quarter and didn’t see the court again until late in the fourth.
Junior Kelsy Parks led a deadly outside-the-arc game for the Lady Panthers, nailing three three-pointers - all in the first half - on her way to a team-high 15 points. Also dialing up long distance was Prior (two triples, 10 points) and senior Courtney Williamson (two three-balls, eight points).
Junior Kristina Danielak (14 points), held to two points in the first half (when the Lady Panthers led 22-21), turned things on in the second half, accounting for 12 points (most from the inside) while grabbing seven boards and establishing a presence inside the paint on both ends of the floor.
“Coach (Avritt) told us (at halftime) we had to get better inside, but Kylie (Prior) also asked me what was up with (China Spring’s) domination inside (in the first half),” a happy Danielak said after the game.
China Spring sophomore post Cara Gorton (15 points on the night) was too much for the Lady Panthers in the first half, scoring 11 points – including her team’s last six of the second quarter. The Lady Cougars dominated the boards in the first half, outrebounding Liberty Hill by a 16-9 margin.
But the Lady Panthers held a one-point edge (22-21) at intermission, thanks to five three-pointers and a tenacious defense. Then, in the second half, the rotation of Danielak, Samantha Swarts and Katelyn Zurovec worked hard down inside, totaling 18 points in the half while holding Gorton to just four points. China Spring’s all-world point guard, 5-foot-11 Karlyn Meyers, was moved down low in the fourth period to try and give Gorton some help. Meyers ended her career at China Spring with an 11-point outing in a losing cause.
The Lady Panthers had to do without the services of senior forward Lesley Means on this night.
The final score in no way indicated the closeness of this game. Every time Liberty Hill would scratch out a 4-6 point lead, the Lady Cougars would work their way back into the game. The Lady Panthers took a slim 38-34 lead into the fourth, and that’s where the girls’ confidence really showed.
Both teams played stifling defense for the first 4:22 of the period before Samantha Swarts (four total points) broke the scoreless drought, giving LHHS a 40-34 lead. Thirty seconds later, Danielak put back a teammate’s miss to open the lead to 42-34. Chelsea Kent (five points, all in the fourth quarter) hit the Lady Cougars’ only three-pointer of the night at the 2:59 mark, closing the gap to 42-37.
Parks hit a fastbreak layup with 2:01 left in regulation, giving LHHS a 47-39 lead. After two free throws each by Karlyn Meyers (11 points) and Kent, Liberty Hill ended the game on a dazzling 11-2 run. The Lady Panthers highlighted that run by hitting 5-of-6 free throws; Williamson, Danielak and Parks all hit for one basket each while Prior (4-of-4) and Danielak (1-of-2) were successful at the charity stripe.
Other LHHS scorers on the ledger were Zurovec (six points) and Cantrell (one point).