Lake Highlands men’s and women’s basketball both came away with wins Tuesday evening at Lake Highlands High School.
Women’s vs. Poteet
The Wildcats started fast, shooting lights out to give Lake Highlands a 23-16 lead after the first quarter. Sophomore guard Brystol Steeley fueled the run, hitting four first-quarter 3-pointers. Steeley stayed hot, finishing the game with 24 points and making two more threes in the second half.
Despite the Wildcats’ offensive brilliance, Poteet stayed in the game. Much of the credit can be given to junior guard Samantha Quinn, who hit three first-half 3-pointers of her own en route to 19 points.
Quinn’s steady play and infectious energy gave the Pirates (6-4) a jolt of life, and suddenly, Poteet led 36-34 going into halftime.
What was an up-and-down, fast-paced game slowed in the second half behind stiff Lake Highlands (6-6) defense. Quinn, who led all scorers in the first half, was held to zero the rest of the way. The Wildcats outscored the Pirates 22-11 in the third quarter, regaining a 56-47 lead.
Sophomore guard Reid Ragsdale was all over the floor in the third, impacting the game in a multitude of ways. First, she hit a right-wing three to bring Lake Highlands within one. A few plays later, Ragsdale made a move to the rim, hitting a euro step and getting fouled for three more points the old-fashioned way.
To cap off the quarter, Ragsdale hit another 3-pointer, this time from the corner, to give the Wildcats a nine-point lead. She ended with 14 points.
Senior Zakiria Tillman, Lake Highlands’ paint presence, had 10 points and was effective as a rim protector throughout.
In the final frame, the Wildcats slowed the game down even more, chewing the clock on each possession. Each team scored nine points in the fourth and Lake Highlands came away with a 65-56 win.
The Wildcats will play Spruce (0-10) next Tuesday at home.
Men’s vs. Wylie
Leading by nine points early in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats gave up a few quick buckets to Wylie (5-5) and the Pirates were within a possession, trailing 46-43 with 6:14 left in the game.
With its back against the wall, Lake Highlands (2-4) responded.
One play later, sophomore Jay’Sean Wilkerson got into the paint, converting an and-one. Then, senior big man Uyiosa Osawemwenze got deep, rebounded his own miss and completed an and-one himself.
And as fast as the Wildcats had lost the lead, they regained a nine-point advantage. Lake Highlands kept its foot on the gas through the final minutes, coming away with a 65-53 win.
Wilkerson was a highlight throughout, muscling his way to the rim and forcing Wylie defenders to foul him. Of his 15 points, six came at the line, where he was perfect.
Despite the win, the Wildcats found themselves in an early 14-10 hole at the end of the first as the Pirates’ Tre Pierce nailed a pair of 3-pointers. Hoping to carry some momentum into the second, Lake Highlands senior Syncere Anderson threw an inbound alley-oop to 6-foot-6 junior center Miller Mask. Mask threw it down, giving the Wildcats life with 27 seconds left in the first.
In the second, Osawemwenze got rolling. Down 24-17, he got to the rim on three consecutive possessions, finishing with a layup each time.
That personal 6-0 run brought Lake Highlands within one point. Another Wilkerson and-one and a steal and score from junior Khamden Bradford later, the Wildcats held a 28-26 halftime lead.
Lake Highlands took control of the tempo in the third, hitting open threes and converting at the free-throw line. That rhythm gave the Wildcats a 44-37 lead after three quarters, setting them up for victory.
Osawemwenze finished with 10 points and was joined by sophomore Jamion Broome, who had nine of his own and two made 3-pointers. Mask and sophomore Eli Johnson each contributed seven in the win.
The Pirates’ top scorer was Caleb Hughes, although he was held to just 10 points by a tough Lake Highlands defense.
The Wildcats return to action at Mesquite Horn (7-2) next Tuesday.
