Barrage of 3-pointers helps Jim Ned down Idalou in Region I-3A semifinals
WOLFFORTH — Lexi Wishert wasn’t feeling so great Friday.
The Jim Ned junior guard felt she was in a slump, especially when it came to shooting three-point shots over the last few weeks. It didn’t help that she was going to face off against Idalou a top-notch defensive team in the Region I-3A semifinal round.
But, those worries turned into confidence after she saw her first triple hit the bottom of the net — developing into a game-best 17 points to help the Lady Indians down the Lady Wildcats 47-33 inside Frenship High School’s Tiger Pit.
“I feel like they really didn’t close me out good enough, and I don’t shoot the ball so much,” said Wishert, who tallied a trio of 3-pointers in the victory. ”So, I was like, I need to do my part and step up and shoot the ball.”
That she did, pouring in a pair of three-pointers to help the Jim Ned hold an 11-6 advantage at the end of a defensive slugfest in the first quarter.
Idalou (25-12) came out with the intention of grabbing every rebound and keeping the Lady Indians (32-1) from getting inside the 3-point line when they attempted to run a half-court offense. That was not part of the gameplan, according to Jim Ned coach Hunter Cooley.
“They’re extremely hard to score on,” Cooley said. We felt like our best opportunities were in transition. We did convert a few buckets, but you’re going to have a hard time grinding out in a half-court offense against that team.”
The second quarter consisted of more frenetic possessions as both teams committed turnovers that developed into easy layups, which allowed the Lady Wildcats to stay within striking distance but go into the locker room trailing 22-14.
Idalou made things interesting by forging a 7-2 offensive — which included a three-pointer by Maddie Holmes followed by back-to-back buckets by Logan Heard — to close their deficit to one possession (24-21) by the 3:59 mark of the third.
Out of the timeout, Jim Ned’s Ashlynn Galvin hit a 3-pointer to snap the offensive surge by Idalou before the Lady Indians kept the 27-24 lead going into the final quarter.
The Lady Indians took control from there, getting 10 points from Wishert in the midst of a 20-8 run to secure their 26th-straight victory and down the reigning regional champions.
“I thought we fought hard, and we’ve had a young team the whole,” Idalou coach Tyler Helms said of his squad, which consists of two seniors. ”For us to get to this point and have a chance says a lot about the two seniors we had and the tradition we have as a program.
“But hats off to Jim Ned and coach (Hunter) Cooley. I mean, they had a good plan and they executed it well. Their guards controlled the game and I thought that was the difference.”
Heard, a West Texas A&M signee, finished with 15 points for the Lady Wildcats. She was the only player to eclipse double digits. Holmes ended with seven points.
On the other side, Wishert had help from Galvin who poured in 10 points. Gracee Cooley chipped in a trio of treys for nine points and Riley Grohman tallied seven points for the Lady Indians — who are slated to take on Holliday in the regional final at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Tiger Pit.
“When you get to this time of year, the team that makes the shots is the team that’s going to win the game,” Helms said. “And give them credit for having some role players step up and hit some big ones.
“We’ve had some battles with Jim Ned and if there’s anybody else that we would be cheering for, it would be them. Me and coach Cooley are good friends, and I’m happy for them. I’m sad for us and our seniors, but I’m cheering for Jim Ned.”
REGION I-3A TOURNAMENT
Frenship HS' Tiger Pit, Wolfforth
Jim Ned 47, Idalou 33
Jim Ned 11 11 5 20 — 47
Idalou 6 8 10 9 — 33
Jim Ned (32-1) — Lexi Wishert 17, Kate Bryant 2, Gracee Cooley 9, Riley Grohman 7, Addison Bradshaw 2, Ashlynn Galvin 10.
Idalou (25-12) — Landrie Gregory 4, Lily Moyers 4, Maddie Holmes 7, Logan Heard 15, Kira Fox 3.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lexi Wishert’s barrage of 3-pointers helps Jim Ned down Idalou in Region I-3A semifinals
