Lady Bulldogs defeat Pearsall in nail-biter

What looked at the beginning to be a walk in the park for the Lady Bulldogs turned into a nail biter in the second half. Bandera stayed tough and fought for the win, coming away with 43 to Pearsall’s 40.

Bandera got a slow start but some epic three-point shooting by the team put them in the lead at the three-minute mark of the first quarter. Tatum Trevino started the Bulldog scoring off with a 3-pointer to tie up the game 3 to 3 in the middle of the first quarter. Estella Calderon stole a pass from Pearsall but could not convert it into a goal. She did however use the play to draw a shooting foul earning the team two points. Hannah Edwards found the goal from downtown, giving the Lady Bulldogs a 2-point lead. Hannah Edwards scored another basket and Summer Haby went for a 3 pointer at the seven second mark to put the Bulldogs ahead by 4 points at the end of the first quarter.

Bandera came out well rested, and it was evident that their threepoint shooting has shown remarkable improvement since the beginning of the season.

To open the second quarter, Bel Kennedy tried for a shot under the basket but ended up getting a trip to the free throw line where she added two points to the scoreboard for the Bulldogs. Stella Calderon drew a shooting foul but only could get one point out of the play. Senior Katie Dibrell stepped up and put a 3-pointer on the board for the team. Hannah Edwards really went after Pearsall on defense and made another basket to keep the Bulldogs ahead.

Stella Calderon hit the floor numerous times scrambling for the ball. Calderon lives in the land of infinite hustle. She always goes after the ball with 100 percent dedication and will. Being one of the shortest members of the team, her rebound percentage is astounding. Her vertical leap is better than most players who tower over her. She is always looking for the steal and never lets the defensive pressure up on opponents. With her help, Bandera ended the half at 22 to Pearsall’s 19.

After the half, Bandera seemed to slow its juggernaut against the Mavericks. Haby started off play by drawing a foul and earning two more three-point shots from the floor. Stella Calderon came through with a 3 pointer to keep the Bulldogs ahead 33 to Pearsall’s 31.

At the top of the fourth quarter, Pearsall came out scrapping. The game which had been mostly non-contact changed direction and both teams’ play became rougher. Pearsall made a three-point shot which put them ahead of the Bulldogs by one. Gabriella Barrera came in to score a crucial 3-point shot pulling the Lady Bulldogs ahead by just two points. Avery Oullette put in a 2-point shot, but Pearsall buckled down and led at the three-minute mark by just one point. Summer Haby got a two-pointer in the basket and stripped a pass off Pearsall as they inbounded the ball after the goal. Bel Kennedy made a significant rebound under the Pearsall goal, sending the team back down the court. Gabriella Barrera stole a Pearsall pass and slipped it to Calderon who came away with a fast break two pointer bringing the score to Bandera’s 43 against Pearsall’s 40.

During the last seconds of the quarter, Bel Kennedy made a fast break to bring the ball back down the court to the Bandera goal but time ran out before she could score.

Coach Sells kept her girls on their toes until the final seconds of the game by calling multiple time outs as she led the team through a strategic ending of the game. The Bulldogs earned their win with hard work and maximum hustle.

The Lady Bulldogs did not play during dead week, but returned to play at Bandera High School on December 28 against the Llano Lady Yellow Jackets. The results of that game were not available by the Bulletin’s press deadline.