The Hays Highway
BUDA – Three weeks from the end of their regular season, the Hays Rebels basketball girls remain in the playoff hunt, but they're coming from the far outside.
A 54-38 win against Lehman Friday night at Oran Bales Gymnasium raised the Rebels to 17-13 overall and 5-6 in District 26-4A, leaving themselves securely in fifth place. If form holds for the rest of this season, the Rebels almost certainly will finish fifth, but they are mathematically in reach of a third-place tie as long as they keep winning.
Cibolo Steele began Friday night 10-0 in the district, needing only a win to clinch a playoff berth. New Braunfels Canyon followed at 8-2, with Del Valle and New Braunfels each 7-3.
As it happens, Hays plays its next two games against New Braunfels and Del Valle, playing the former on the road Tuesday night (Jan. 29) and the latter at home next Friday (Feb 1). The Rebels lost to both teams earlier this year.
Hays closes against Schertz Clemens on Feb. 5. The Rebels beat Clemens, 57-49, at home on Jan. 11.
The Rebels led all the way Tuesday night, holding a 25-17 halftime lead. Lehman scored the first basket of the second half, but the Rebels blew the lead back out to 31-19 and won going away.
"My eyes saw us playing like we played early in the year when we played ugly and won," said Hays coach Donny McDonald, who notched his 600th career victory at Lehman on Dec. 21. Since that night, McDonald has added six wins to his total.
Shelby Calabrese led the Rebels with 16 points, followed by Angeleigh Davis with 12. Nekia Thorps led Lehman with 11 points.
