The Jones Longhorns overcame a slow start Wednesday Evening at the State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City to beat the Hugo Lady Buffalos 66-33 to advance to the State Semifinals. Head Coach Jenni Holbrook recognized the struggles early on, but knew that her team needed to play through.
“(We were) trying to get some nerves worked out on this stage, we were playing a bit out of our element…at this stage in the game, you win and you advance.”
The game started uncharacteristically slow for the Jones Girls, a few turnovers and a number of missed shots. The Buffalos managed to take a 6-4 lead a few minutes in. The lead lasted only a few seconds as Sophomore Jalen Maples knocked down the first of her three long-range shots to put the Horns up 7-6. A lead they would never relinquish.
The first quarter ended with the Longhorns up 11-8. The Longhorns would embark on a 29-6 run over the next few minutes that would separate the teams for good. The run was fueled by a ferocious defense. This was part of Coach Holbrook’s game plan, “defense is something we can control…our defense drives our offense.”
The Longhorns were led by Seniors Tirzah Moore and Trinity Moore. Tirzah finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds while Trinity added in 15 points and 12 rebounds. When asked about the impact of the Moore sisters, Coach Holbrook talked not just of their performance tonight, but their long-term potential, “they are just scratching the surface of what they are going to be able to do.” When asked about her performance on the evening, Tirzah replied, “we are proud of the way our team played, we didn’t fold under pressure, we are just one step closer.”
The next step takes place Friday evening in Noble against the #3 Lincoln Christian Bulldogs at 6:00.