Lady Apaches survive late 4th-quarter push

GONZALES — Tuesday night was a statement win for the Gonzales Lady Apaches. The team hosted #22 Cuero, beating the Lady Gobblers 51-49 to move up to 5-3 in District 30-4A. The win puts Gonzales on pace with Navarro (6-3) and sets up what could be a game that decides third-place this Friday between both teams. Cuero meanwhile stays on top of the district at 8-1.

“Our girls [are] starting to mature,” head coach Brock Ramsey said after the win. “Yes, it was a big game for us. We knew this game would put us in the driver seat as far as making the playoffs. We got Navarro on Friday, which is another big game, but anytime you beat a team like Cuero who is ranked, it’s a challenge. They jumped on us at their place and we came around after the first quarter and stayed with them. For us it was just about playing our defense and stopping what they’ve done in the past on us and trying to get more aggressive offensively and attacking the basket.”

After some back-and-forth scoring early in the first quarter, the Lady Apaches would go on a 20-2 run from 2:10 left in the first through the end of the first half to go up 31-13 against Cuero.

“Defensively we had a great game plan going in,” Ramsey said. “We knew who their scorers were, where they scored from, we done our homework on them. First half, Cuero didn’t have any answer to what we were doing defensively to them. They like to drive and we stopped the drive. They only got a couple of outside shooters and we covered them when they got the ball.”

The Lady Apaches’ biggest lead came late in the third, up 40-20 against the state-ranked Lady Gobblers before Cuero starting to drain long-range jumpers.

“They were unconscious in the fourth quarter,” Ramsey said of the Lady Gobblers. “Even that last three at the buzzer, and we covered her as well as we could. They probably shot 80 percent in the fourth quarter.”

Cuero would go on a 22-3 run to cut the lead down to 43-42. 

“They got three seniors starting, so that helps with their maturity,” Ramsey said. “For us we’re still learning how to handle that situation.”

The Lady Apaches couldn’t break the press early on, but once they did, Cuero fouled post player Devon Williams, who would go on to score seven of her eight attempted free throws, including two with three seconds left to give the Lady Apaches the 51-46 lead. A buzzer-beating three by Cuero’s Ibree Coe ended the game 51-49.

Ramsey noted that Williams was a bit ill throughout the day, so her minutes were limited early on. However, down the stretch, the junior was called upon.

“We pushed her that fourth quarter,” Ramsey said. “I give the girl a hard time when they talk about being hurt or banged up a little bit. I tell them, ‘suck it up buttercup,’ and the fourth quarter, Devon said ‘coach, I’m going to suck it up.’ So she did, she had a huge fourth quarter for us. Did a great job on both ends of the court.”

Although defense was highlighted Tuesday, Ramsey gave props to his Lady Apaches for their efficient offensive night.

“Offensively we had probably one of our most consistent nights,” he said. “We’ve had those nights where we’d go three or four minutes without a score and having a low-scoring quarter and we struggle with that.”

The first quarter, the Lady Apaches were able to drive to the basket which led to made three pointers by Ali Rocha, Chelsie Hastings and Chu Chu McCarty.

“When our threes are going, we’re pretty tough to stop,” Ramsey said.

The Lady Apaches take on Navarro this Friday before hosting Poteet (1-7) on Tuesday, Jan. 29. Gonzales previously beat Navarro 58-47 and Poteet 69-32.

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