Lady Jackets break three-game losing skid

The losing streak is over.

The Cleburne Lady Jackets broke their three-game losing skid on Tuesday night with a 48-41 victory over the Joshua Lady Owls in a District 6-4A contest.

“We really needed that win to get us rolling again,” Cleburne head coach Mitzi Marquart said. “After the first half of district, we decided to take it one game at a time. Tonight it was Joshua. Now, we are focused on Brewer.”

Cleburne (13-14, 3-3) trailed by as many as five points during the first period as Joshua (11-16, 1-5) got solid play inside by the duo of Abby Babbitt and Elizabeth Dominguez, who combined for all nine Lady Owl points in the first quarter.

But by the end of the first period, Cleburne worked its way into the lead, thanks to buckets by Secret Holmes and Carly Thresher, along with a pair of free throws by Janaye Richardson, giving the Lady Jackets a 10-9 advantage.

It was a lead Cleburne never relinquished.

In the opening moments of the second period, the Lady Jackets extended their lead to as many as nine points, thanks to a pair of triples by Thresher, along with buckets from Katie Tull and Richardson.

At the half, Cleburne’s lead was eight points, 27-19.

Three points by Tull to open the second half allowed Cleburne to extend its lead to double digits, but buckets by Babbitt, Dominguez and Courtney Ubernosky brought Joshua back within striking distance by the end of the third period, 38-33.

The Lady Jackets moved back out to an 11-point lead early in the fourth, but Joshua rallied to get back to within three, 44-41, on a three-pointer by Monique Williams.

But a shot from Sara White and two free throws by Richardson sealed the deal for Cleburne.

“I felt we played in spurts,” Marquart said. “We’d go up by a few points and then relax. And Joshua never stopped fighting back. They played hard.”

Tull led Cleburne with 17 points, six rebounds, seven assists and seven steals, while Thresher finished with 10 points, all coming in the first half. Richardson added eight points for Cleburne.

Dominguez paced Joshua with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Babbitt, Williams and Cersten Clover all had six points in the loss.

———

Cleburne 48, Joshua 41

JOSHUA (11-16, 1-5): Elizabeth Dominguez 12, Cersten Clover 6, Monique Williams 6, Abby Babbitt 6, Courtney Ubernosky 4, Electra Springsteen 3, Katlyn Mary 2, Sasha Sessums 2.

CLEBURNE (13-14, 3-3): Katie Tull 17, Carly Thresher 10, Janaye Richardson 8, Macoyia Malone 4, Sara White 4, Secret Holmes 4, Kyli Ginn 1.



Joshua.....9 10 14 8—41

Cleburne...10 17 11 10—48



Halftime score: Cleburne 27, Joshua 19. Total fouls: Joshua 17, Cleburne 17. Fouled out: None. Three-point goals: Joshua 2 (Williams 1, Springsteen 1), Cleburne 2 (Thresher 2). Rebounds: Joshua 31 (Dominguez 10), Cleburne 24 (Tull 6). Assists: Joshua 8 (Dominguez, Babbitt 2), Cleburne 9 (Tull 7). Steals: Joshua 7 (Ashley Clifton 3), Cleburne 13 (Tull 7). Blocked shots: Joshua 2 (Ubernosky, Springsteen 1), Cleburne 3 (Malone 3). Technical fouls: None. Turnovers: Joshua 21, Cleburne 17.



Daniel Green can be reached at 817-645-2441, ext. 2334, or sports@trcle.com