The Lady Warriors redeemed themselves after last week’s loss by massacring the McNeil Mavericks 61-39 on Tuesday, Jan. 30. With elaborate plays and strong work ethic, conquering the Mavericks (1-10) was a painless win that put them 6-4 in district. Their overall winning percentage was boosted to .600 and they are now third in district.

The first quarter went by quickly as the Warriors racked up points and ended 16-6. The start of the second was similar to the first. Christie French ‘19 anticipated several plays on defense and initiated turnovers. Charges to the basket by Meaghan Hendricks ‘18, Allyah Beaty ‘18, and Makayla Coy ‘19 earned the team several points and free throws for Maverick fouls. McKenna Lindley ‘18 was present on rebounds and outjumped her opponents to intercept the ball. Four minutes remaining in the half and the Warriors still led 20-14. After two missed shots by the Warriors, Beaty took leadership, rebounded, successfully earned two points, drew the foul, and went to the line (27-14). Kenzie Beckham ‘21 missed an attempted three but recovered possession of the ball and completed a layup. The half ended 34-16.

“I knew we had to respect our opponent by starting off strong to maintain the momentum,” Lindley said. “It was also important that we play to our full potential to get better as a team. We played well and focused on the right things.”

Entering the third quarter, the Warriors presented an agile defense, and the offense had open opportunity for excellent passes. The Mavericks started with a full-court man defense, but the Warriors passed them quickly to speed down the court for two points that only took seconds to earn after passing the ball in-bounds (41-19). Three minutes into the half and the Mavericks already had five fouls against the Warriors. Coy stormed to the basket past three defenders, triumphantly scoring and brought the game 43-27. With an aggressive defense, the team pressured the Mavericks and forced them to take risky shots that failed to go in, ending the quarter 47-27.

“We played with a better mindset than last game and started faster,” Annalise Galliguez ‘20 said. “Davalos said to prepare, emphasized how important it is to not lose concentration, and how easy it is to maintain mental effort.”

The Mavericks trailing behind 20 points did not stop the Warriors from their rapid plays. They continued a tough defense and held the ball from their possession. Beaty rushed past three defenders for a successful underhand layup (53-31). Kooper Giles ‘20 and Lindley effectively worked together for a turnover to enable Beckham a clear shot (55-31). Only two minutes remaining in the game and Lindley drove the ball half way down the court with an easy layup with no defenders in sight. With more shots on both sides, the game ended in Westwood’s favor 61-39.

Join the Lady Warriors as they take on the Stony Point Tigers in the Field House at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2.