Wylie East senior Sidney Sanders, pictured in previous action, scored 11 points in a 32-20 win over Lakeview Centennial on Tuesday, Nov. 25. Photo by Oladipo Awowale / C&S Media

By Mark Saldana

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In a low-scoring battle that came down to the final defensive stand, the Wylie East Lady Raiders opened District 9-6A play with a gritty 32-30 win over Lakeview Centennial on Tuesday. The victory moves Wylie East to 6-8 overall and 1-0 in district.

Lakeview struck first, taking a 10-5 lead after the opening quarter behind strong interior defense and early pressure. But Wylie East slowly settled in during the second frame.

Sophomore Khloe Chery delivered a momentum-shifting offensive rebound and putback to tie the game at 12-12, and moments later junior Morgan Jennings knocked down two free throws to give the Lady Raiders their first lead at 14-12. Lakeview responded, and the teams entered halftime locked in a 14-14 defensive grind.

Wylie East opened the third quarter determined to create separation.

Jennings hit a jumper to push the Raiders ahead, and senior guard Sharmayne Jones followed with an impressive and-one finish in traffic to extend the lead to 19-15. Freshman Zoey Lundberg buried a long two-pointer to stretch the margin to 21-17, and senior Sidney Sanders added a midrange jumper as Wylie East carried a 23-21 advantage into the fourth.

Lakeview tied the game early in the final quarter with two free throws, but the Lady Raiders answered with steady execution at the line and late composure. Jennings sank another pair to make it 27-25, and Sanders delivered under pressure, knocking down two more to build a 29-25 cushion with just over two minutes left.

After a Lakeview steal and score trimmed the lead to two, Sanders stepped up again. The senior guard converted a clutch and-one with 25 seconds remaining, putting Wylie East ahead 32-28. Lakeview answered quickly to cut it to 32-30 with 16 seconds left, and after a timeout, had one final possession with six seconds remaining. But the Lady Raiders’ defense held firm, forcing a contested shot to seal the win.

Sanders finished with 11 points, followed by nine from Jennings. 

Head coach Meaghan Hodapp praised her team’s resilience in the tense finish.

“I feel good going 1-0 in district,” Hodapp said. “This was a good chance for us to refocus and get going again.”

Despite the slow offensive start and the back-and-forth pace, Hodapp said she was proud of her players’ fight.

“It makes me feel good that we’re fighting and competing until the end,” she said.

Hodapp highlighted the collective execution down the stretch, including Sanders’ late scoring.

“I think overall it was a team effort — just finishing, executing on offense and doing the little things to get better,” she said.

With the holiday break approaching, Hodapp emphasized balance as the team prepares for the heart of district play.

“They need to enjoy some time with family, and then we’ll refocus next week,” she said. “Having a week off will help us reset and really focus on district play.”