The Mason High School girls basketball team earned the important split it needed against Johnson City, beating the Lady Eagles 60-37 January 31.
That win came after losing at Goldthwaite 47-37 January 28.
Johnson City had beaten the Cowgirls 56-51 January 7 in the first meeting when Mason had a furious comeback in the second half to make a game of it.
No such measures were needed in the rematch.
'We felt we let that one slip away,' head coach Alicia Cummings said. 'We dug a big first-quarter hole the first time and (almost) got out of are the better team. We gave ourselves great opportunities to win. We jumped on them right from the tip and executed for four quarters.'
Cummings noted her players' mentality never changed during that 32-minute affair. The Cowgirls didn't take a play off, they didn't waste possessions, and they didn't waver defensively.
'I was really proud of our kids,' she said. 'I thought they played really hard. We prepared, and the kids were ready all week. I was really proud of them.'
Though Goldthwaite won, Cummings noted the game lived up to what is great about Texas high school basketball.
'It was a battle over there,' she said. 'It was their senior night in a packed gym. They had (some) seniors playing on their home court for the last time. It was a great environment. Our kids played tough and hard.'
The Cowgirls were down by three points at the half, which was indicative of each team answering the other with a bucket.
'It was always four, five, six points,' she said. 'They were ahead most of the second half. We cut it to six in the fourth quarter. They hit some free throws to end it. We had chances and opportunities. I thought our kids prepared well and played hard.'
She noted the Lady Eagles decided to focus on taking away the high-percentage shots.
'They did a good job of defending our posts,' the coach said. 'Our guards did a good job of shooting. We didn't do a good job of moving without the ball as well as we needed to.'
Mason will enter the Class 2A Division II playoffs, which is new to the playoff system this year.
The University Interscholastic League announced a split in the playoff system toward the end of the 202324 school year. The playoffs begin Monday, February 10, with the bi-district round.
The Cowgirls finished the regular season at Center Point Tuesday, February 4. That outcome and the first playoff game wasn't known before presstime.
