Girls basketball faces Highland Park after tournament win

The girl’s basketball team will look to extend their 11-game winning streak as they open district play against Highland Park on Friday, Dec 9.

On Tuesday night, the team traveled to Denton, as they took on the Braswell Bengals for the second time this year. The game was close, but the Lady Leopards ended up winning 37-32 to improve their record to 12-1. The team beat the Bengals in the earlier game by 17.

Last weekend the team played in the Lufkin Hudson tournament, their third tournament of the year, and won the championship match after winning five straight games.

In their first game against Buna High, junior Taylor Meixelsperger led her team with 35 points and shot 8-10 from the 3-point line, as the team won 60-37.

“There is no way I could’ve scored the 35 points without my teammates out on the court with me,” Meixelsperger said. “Without the good screening and my teammates helping me get open, I wouldn’t have been as successful.”

The team went on to defeat Lufkin Hudson, Livingston, Nacogdoches, and then beat Woden High School in a narrow victory by two points to win the championship 35-33.

“Tournament play helps us prepare for district because we get to compete against many different styles of play,” Boxell said. “Getting the opportunity to play games that require us to attack different types of defenses makes us more prepared for anything our district opponents throw at us.”

The team will open home district play on Monday, Dec. 12 against Sanger High School.