Lady Warriors Open Year 1-2

Leyton's Lady Warrior basketball team started the new year with two losses and a win, but played well against two of the top teams in the area.

A win against Hay Springs was sandwiched between losses to Haxtun and and Bridgeport, but the Lady Warriors maintained their winning record at 6-and-5 on the season.

On Thursday January 3, the Lady Warriors returned from the break and traveled to Haxtun to face the 8-and-1 Lady Bulldogs and fell behind early, trailing 19-to-8 and the end of the first period.

The Lady Warriors were able to settle down on defense and put up points, but still trailed 30-to-18 at the half.

Haxtun came out of the break with another strong offensive quarter, outpacing the Lady Warriors by six points leaving Leyton with a fourth quarter deficit too big to overcome, and the Lady Warriors fell 62-to-41.

The girls were effective when they could get inside, but were forced to take too many three point shots with 16 attempts and only three conversions, all by sophomore Ella Draper who led the team with 9 points on the night.

On Saturday, the girls traveled to Hay Springs for a non-conference matchup against the Lady Hawks, and the Lady Warriors quickly put this game away, scoring 19 points and limiting the struggling Lady Hawks squad to just four points in the first quarter. The teams played with a running clock in the third and fourth quarters while the Lady Warriors scored at will and coasted to an easy 63-to-27 victory. Junior Madelyn Watchorn scored 22 points and was 6-for-7 at the free throw line in the win.

"It was a good game to get back in our routine after the Christmas break, which we need because we have two more games this week with Bridgeport and Potter-Dix to help us get ready for the MAC Tournament next week", said Leyton head coach Lance Howitt.

Next came a home matchup with with a very tough Bridgeport Lady Bulldogs team, and the Leyton girls knew they were in a battle from start, with both defenses playing tough and trading scores to end the period with Leyton trailing, 12-to-10.

Play continued in the second with each team's scores being immediately answered by another, and the loud and large crowd cheering approval with every point scored.

The Lady Warriors were able to get the last points of the half, and tied the game at 27 at the intermission.

The third period had both squads ratchet up their defenses, with physical play, fouls, and many jump balls. Bridgeport came out with the first two scores to go up 31-to-27, only to be answered back by an Ella Draper three-pointer that brought Leyton right back to 31-to-30. Again, both teams battled and traded scores until the end of the third period saw the scoreboard knotted at 42. Leyton started the fourth quarter with the ball and Watchorn missing two successive jump shots.

Watchorn finally connected for two at 6:05 in the quarter to put the Lady Warriors up 44-to-42 only to have Bridgeport senior Brittany Nelson answer right back to knot the score at 44. After Leyton went up 46-to-44, Bridgeport fouled Watchorn, but the junior missed both of her free throws.

On the next possession, Bridgeport's Nelson was fouled and missed both of her free throws, but was able secure the rebound on her second miss and drained a three-pointer to put the Lady Bulldogs up 47-to-46, and they would not trail for the rest of the game.

Nelson scored twice more to increase the Bridgeport lead to 51-to-46, forcing Leyton to foul in the waning minutes, and the Lady Bulldogs were able to hit enough of their free throws to end the game with a 57-to-50 win.

Leyton hosts rival Potter-Dix tonight in their final game before next week's MAC Basketball Tournament.