The Lady Rangers women’s basketball team was victorious Wednesday in their regular season home opener against the Southwest Texas Junior College Cowgirls 61-55.
A crowd of more than 100 spectators at Candler physical education center watched as the team opened its conference play. The Lady Rangers’ Natasha Carson led all scorers with 16 points.
“We’ve got a lot of speed,” Lady Rangers Coach Desiree Crawford said. The team showed superiority at the guard position, making steals and forcing turnovers frequently.
The Lady Rangers took the lead in the first half before encountering more intense offense from the Cowgirls in the second half. The Lady Rangers picked up their defense with an effective full-court press, which forced multiple turnovers by the Cowgirls.
“I think it worked really well,” said criminal justice sophomore Vanessa Guardiola.
Dental hygienist freshman Yvette Perez provided defensive stops with blocks down in the post, while Guardiola helped the Rangers rally at the small forward position. “We trapped them, kept them under control… Our girls played giving it their all,” Perez said.
During time outs, Crawford reminded her players to keep their heads in the game and to play defense like they do in practice.
Despite foul trouble, the Rangers held off their opponent for the win. Crawford described her team as starting a bit slow, but eventually winning the game by defensive pressure.
Criminal justice sophomore Monisha Kirk said after the game, “Basically, I think we won the game by our defense and our hustle.”
The Lady Rangers play the Northwest Vista College Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 4 at Palo Alto College.
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