BASKETBALL: Lady Mustangs lose four straight at Moulton Invitational

The Nixon-Smiley Lady Mustangs finished the Moulton Invitational Tournament with four straight losses but showed great perseverance despite those outcomes.

Thursday

First, on Thursday, the Lady Mustangs (8-9) had to play Class 4A Geronimo Navarro, which is ranked in the Top 20 in their classification, in the opening game of the tourney. Nixon-Smiley lost to the Lady Panthers, 69-35.

Mady Velasquez led the Lady Mustangs with 18 points and hit four three-pointers while adding three rebounds and four steals. Natalee Mendez scored eight points while Greenlee Houseton had three points. Scoring two points each were Abby Fox, Kendall Amaya and Madisyne Rice.

Friday

On Friday afternoon, the Lady Mustangs played a very close game against Lexington, but lost, 31-26. Velasquez led Nixon-Smiley with 10 points, while K. Amaya had five points and four rebounds. Houseton had three points and four steals. Fox, Mendez, Rice and Criselle Stansel each had two points. Fox had eight rebounds, while Mendez had six rebounds and four steals.

Then, also on Friday, Nixon-Smiley lost to the host Moulton Lady Bobkatz, 62-33. Moulton jumped out to a 15-6 lead after one period and took a 26-15 lead at the break. The hosts doubled up the Lady Mustangs, 36-18, in the second half.

Velasquez was again the top scorer with 14 points and five steals, while Houseton had five and Fox and Mckaylah Filla each had four points. Deanna Amaya scored three points, while Mendez had two and Ariel Villanueva had one. Mendez also had five rebounds.

Saturday

On Saturday, Nixon-Smiley lost to Halletsville Sacred Heart for the second time this season, this time by a 44-31 final score in a game without Velasquez. Mendez led the Lady Mustangs with seven points, three steals and eight rebounds, while Fox had six points and five rebounds. K. Amaya had five points and Rice had five points, five rebounds and three steals. D. Amaya had four points and five rebounds and Houseton and Stansel each had two points.

Nixon-Smiley was scheduled to host Stockdale at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14, and travel to Cole to play at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17.