CASEY GEORG Special to the Press
AUSTIN — Despite a valiant fourth-quarter rally, the Thrall Tigerettes fell to the St. Michaels Lady Crusaders 56-51 Tuesday night. The Tigerettes (6-10) trailed by 17 going into the fourth quarter before pulling close in the final period.
It was St. Michael’s outside shooting that proved difficult for the Tigerettes. A trio of treys in the opening period allowed the Lady Crusaders to build a 17-11 first-quarter lead. Ashlyn Jarosek, who finished the night with 16 points for the Tigerettes, scored four in the opening period to keep the game close early on.
St. Michael’s continued to bomb away from outside, hitting three more shots from behind the arch in the second quarter. Kinley Hoffman scored five for the Tigerettes, and Jarosek added a three-point jumper for Thrall. But, at the half, the Lady Crusaders held a 35-23 advantage.
Thrall went cold from the field in the third quarter, hitting just two of 19 shots from the field. The cold shooting streak allowed the Lady Crusaders to up their lead to 46-29 as the two teams entered the final quarter of play.
But in the fourth, the Tigerettes’ offense got on track. St. Michael’s pushed its lead to 51-29 in the opening minute of the quarter, but Hoffman, who finished the night with a team-high 20 points, and Jarosek, each dropped in eight points over the final eight minutes of play. Their hot shooting hands helped the Tigerettes put up 22 points in the final quarter, while Thrall’s stingy defense held the Lady Crusaders to 10 points.
The Tigerettes opened district play on Friday when they hosted long-time rivals, the Thorndale Lady Dogs. Thrall, considered by most to be the team to beat in 27-2A, needs a strong effort to open district with a win. A solid performance by the Tigerettes should set the tone for the remainder of the season.
