Third quarter explosion leads Weatherford girls past Woodward

Woodward and Weatherford met in the girls’ consolation bracket at the Second Annual MidFirst Bank Classic, with the Lady Eagles riding a 21-point third quarter to pull out a 52-41 victory.

Bailee Roberson, in just her third game since returning from an injury that has seen her miss the bulk of the season, scored a game-high 20 points in the winning effort. Despite starting quietly in the first half, she eventually picked up steam to help Weatherford secure the victory.

The first quarter was a rough start for the Lady Eagles, as the Lady Boomers of Woodward forced them into three turnovers in three of their first five possessions. Woodward was unable to capitalize on the turnovers, however, scoring just 11 points in the frame and closing out the quarter leading 11-7.

Both teams were lacking for offensive prowess in the second frame, with just 10 points scored between the two sides. On one possession, Weatherford secured two straight offensive boards, but was unable to find the bottom of the net on any attempt. When the whistle blew for halftime, Woodward looked to win in the defensive struggle, up 17-11.

Whatever offense was lacking in the second quarter was made up for in the third frame, however, as the Weatherford offense lit up the scoreboard for 21 points to take the lead. Alexa Harvey poured in 10 points in the quarter, and swapped back-to-back threes with Taylor Winn twice. The Lady Eagles also did a job stifling the Woodward offense, allowing just ten points.

After going nearly eight minutes without a basket, Woodward finally got things rolling as they went on a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter, led by Hillary Hurst’s nine points, to pull within 45-41 with 1:22 to play. The sophomore Roberson rose to the challenge, however, scoring five quick points to silence the comeback bid.

Of the four players to score for the Lady Eagles, three finished in double digits. Roberson stole the show with 20 points, but Harvey and Winn finished with 13 and 12 points each.

On the other side of the ball, the Lady Boomers featured a more balanced offense. They had five players score, with Hurst leading the team with 18 points. Devre Newby finished with 10.

Weatherford will move on to the consolation final tomorrow at the Weatherford High School Gym at 12:40 p.m.