Lady Flames split games at tourney

SAN ANTONIO — The Faith Academy girls basketball team went 1-1 at the Bulverde Christian Classic Nov. 13-14. 

The Lady Flames lost to Tyler Grace Christian, 48-34, Friday.

“We really just didn’t have anything going at all,” head coach Jerry English said. 

His squad did not execute on either side of the floor. 

“We were in the game the whole time,” he said. “We never could put together a minute and a half. We might get a stop and go down and throw the ball away.”

Tyler Grace pressed and was able to score quick buckets off turnovers.

But the Lady Flames had their chances, English said. 

“We missed the shot or threw it away,” he said. “You have to have skills to be able to perform, and we didn’t have any.” 

What was more disappointing was the coach felt his squad was the better team.

“It was not a great performance,” he said. 

Brooke Field led Faith scorers with 10 points, followed by sister Kendra Field with eight. Katie Jung and Laura Lykken added four each, while Shiloh Reaves and Deanna Hoover dropped in three apiece. Breigh Gray and Taylor Vaughn each added a free throw. 

Faith bounced back from its season opening loss by beating the Texas Military Institute, 64-4, Nov. 13 in the first contest of the tournament.

TMI had four six-foot players.

“They (TMI) just were not highly skilled,” the Lady Flames head coach said. 

He called off the press and relied on half-court defense to slow TMI.

On the offensive end, the Lady Flames were led by sisters Kendra and Brooke Field, who scored 20 points in the first period.

“Kendra and Brooke worked well together,” the coach said. “There were great passes to Brooke from Kendra and Katie Jung.”

Once the defense started to collapse around Brooke Field in the lane, her older sister began to connect from the outside.

“In the third quarter, Kendra made three 3s,” English said. “We have been seeing Kendra shoot like this.”

However, the team was waiting for her to feel comfortable and confident.

“It was good for her and our team,” the coach said. 

TMI scored its only bucket in the first quarter and added a free throw in the second and fourth periods.

“From a defensive standpoint, it resembled something we’ve been working on,” English said. “They tried to go to the high post three consecutive times. When they fed to the  high post, we doubled down.”

Faith either stole the ball or got the rebound. 

The Lady Flames struggled to defend San Saba in a 73-35 loss Nov. 11. What made San Saba dangerous was its ability to pass, English said.

“I do think defensively we were in the right spots,” he said of the TMI win. 

In turn, Faith was able to score on their fast break, something they did not do enough against San Saba, the coach said. 

Once the team took control of the contest, players were substituted freely, English said.

jfierro@thepicayune.com

Courtesy photo