Houston Christian came ready for redemption after recruiting six new players from public schools to strengthen their roster.
Although Houston Christian’s line-up was full of new players, the Falcons were not fearful, and were even more determined to defeat the Houston Christian Mustangs once again.
Kinkaid entered the matchup with a 25-5 record. All five of the team’s losses occurred in away games: two against out-of-state opponents and three against in-state opponents, none of which were SPC opponents.
Junior Sydney Marshall, a wing, hurt her knee in practice, making her ineligible to play. Last year, she played in the game and was a key contributor to the Kinkaid victory.
Right at 5:30 p.m., the game was underway in a packed gym fully. The crowd added a tense energy and made it clear that this would be a close matchup. With two minutes left in the first quarter, the game was tied 11-11.
When the second quarter began, Houston Christian brought intense defensive pressure, leaving Kinkaid little room to work around. Its defenders stayed tight, with their hands constantly fluttering in the air. Those players were on top of the Falcons, making it an extremely physical battle.
Kinkaid slowly fought back, trailing 18-22, until Alfred sprinted down the court, looked up and drilled a three-pointer. Her shot cut the lead to 21-24.
“After I hit that three, I felt that the momentum had shifted to our side, and I knew that my teammates and I were going to continue fighting to get the win,” junior team captain Ma’Ryiah Alfred said.
Alfred continued the strong performance, scoring a layup to make it a 23-24 game. After she made her shot, she turned to the Kinkaid stands filled with students and parents and yelled, “Let’s go!” pumping her fist as she ran back on defense.
The energy carried over as girls head coach Mrs. Stacey Marshall cheered her on from the sidelines.
Moments later, junior Lauren Hull scored two points to give Kinkaid its first lead, 25-24.
“The beginning of the game was off to a slow start, but that basket helped me feel more confident and get back into my groove,” Hull said.
At halftime, the Falcons held the lead at 27-24.
“Keep fighting. They’re getting tired. This is why we practice how we do,” Coach Marshall said. “Use your energy to stay in control and keep getting points on the board.”
Hull opened the second half with another basket, making it 29-24. The bench hovered halfway out of their seats, leaning far forward as they cheered on their team.
After several more strong possessions, Kinkaid closed the third quarter with a lead of 40-29. Kinkaid continued strong in the fourth quarter, with senior Alexandra Gordon adding two points early on.
Houston Christian came back with back-to-back baskets, trying to get back into the game.
With 29 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Houston Christian missed three consecutive shots. The crowd erupted in applause as Kinkaid secured a 51-39 victory.
“I’m excited, it’s always fun to play against a good team, and we plan to come out on top,” Alfred said.
With the SPC tournament taking place Feb. 12-14, this game marked one of Kinkaid’s final games to prepare.
