CASEY GEORG Special to the Press
THORNDALE — For the first time since the 2013-2014 season, the Thrall Tigerettes (1512 overall 7-0 District 27-2A) swept their longtime rival Thorndale Lady Dogs (7-12, 3-5). Friday night’s 58-25 win gave the Tigerettes the season sweep, with the Tigerettes winning the first meeting by the same score.
Thrall got off to a slow start, struggling both from the field and with turnovers. “I thought we played a little sloppy,” said Thrall Coach Katina Walker. “We just could not get a handle on the ball. We had some good looks, but the ball just would not go in the hole.”
Walker also attributed the raucous crowd at Thorndale as a factor of the Tigerettes’ slow start. “That gym is a special place to play in,” she said. “You have to stay focused and be able to play through the loudness.”
Howevery, Thorndale struggled as well. The Tigerettes’ swarming defense forced 13 firstquarter turnovers that accounted for eight of Thrall’s 12 points in the opening period. Nevaeh Irvin led the way, scoring six of her 14 points over the first eight minutes of the game. The Lady Dogs managed just four points in the opening stanza.
It was more of the same in the second quarter. Thorndale committed an additional eight turnovers, and the Tigerettes converted those into 10 points. And, while the Lady Dogs did manage to score eight in the period, Ashlyn Jarosek tallied seven, and Irvin added another four, to lead the Tigerettes to a 27-12 halftime lead.
Thrall’s offense finally caught fire in the third quarter. The Tigerettes, who have enjoyed a balanced offensive attack all season, took advantage of multiple scorers in the third to pull away. Avery Ochoa and CeCe Walker each dropped five points as part of the Tigerettes’ 20-point quarter. At the defensive end of the floor, Thrall held Thorndale two a pair of field goals and took a 47-18 lead into the fourth quarter.
From there, the Tigerettes coasted, outscoring Thorndale 11-7 in the fourth quarter to secure the win. For the game, Thrall forced 38 Lady Dog turnovers and converted those into 32 points.
“Our defense is coming along,” Coach Walker said. “We were able to attack from all angles and keep the Bulldogs guessing what we were going to do on each of their offensive possessions.”
Jarosek led all scorers with 17 points, while Irvin finished with 14 points and Walker chipped in 11 along with a team-high seven rebounds.
