Nettes three-peat as District champs

The Sudan Nettes’ varsity basketball team captured their third consecutive district championship on Tuesday evening when they defeated the Hale Center Lady Owls, 75-43, in Sudan.

With the win, the Nettes improve to 20-8 overall, 11-1 in district play.

Stevi Lockhart buried a three from the top of the key off of an assist from Kambry Tolbert to open the contest, but Lorena Espinosa answered with a three of her own from the left elbow to tie the game, 3-3. Blessy Montes fired right back on the other end with a three from the left wing, off of an assist from Elaine Martinez and on their next possession, Edette Herrera was fouled on an attempt by Lorena Espinosa, earning a trip to the line. She made oneof- two shots at the line to make the score, 7-3, with 5:53 to play in the opening quarter.

Lockhart picked up a steal and got it ahead to Gracyn Shultz, who dished it to Herrera, who finished off the play with a lay-up to push their lead to, 9- 3. Makayla Espinosa banked in a three from the right elbow for Hale Center, but Lockhart answered with a short turnaround jumper in the lane to make the score, 11-6, with 3:25 remaining in the first quarter.

Herrera was fouled on a putback attempt by Makayla Espinosa and converted both shots at the line to extend their lead to, 13-6. With 2:05 to play in the quarter, Shultz spun to the basket for a lay-up, off of an assist from Lockhart and Melo Rodriguez followed it up with a lay-up in transition off of an assist from Lockhart, pushing their lead to, 176.

Hale Center took a time out with 1:13 remaining in the quarter, and out of the break, Lockhart knocked down a turnaround jumper in the lane off of an assist from Shultz and in the closing seconds of the quarter, Lockhart picked up a steal on the inbound play and knocked down a jumper from the right wing, as Sudan closed out the quarter, leading, 21-6.

Shultz opened the second frame with a runner in the lane, but Mariyah Espinosa responded with a jumper from the free-throw line, and Layla Juarez followed it up with a three from the left wing to cut the lead to, 23-11, with 7:14 remaining in the first half. Tolbert picked up a steal and took it the other way for a fast-break lay-up, drawing an and-one foul on Chloe Baca. She converted the free throw to stretch their lead back out to, 26-11.

With 6:10 to play in the half, Mariyah Espinosa was fouled on an attempt by Martinez; she converted one-of-two shots at the line to trim the lead to, 26-12. Shultz knocked down a jumper from the right wing, but Baca and Lorena Espinosa answered with back-toback threes for Hale Center, slicing the lead to, 28-18, with 5:08 to play in the half. Lockhart knocked down a turnaround jumper from the right elbow, but on the other end, Mariyah Espinosa was fouled on a pull-up jumper attempt by Tolbert, earning a trip to the line. She made one-of-two shots at the line, trimming the lead to, 30-19, with 3:24 to play in the second quarter.

On the next play, Lockhart was fouled on a defensive rebound by Makayla Epinosa and sank both shots at the line to extend their lead to, 32-19. Shultz followed it up with a pull-up jumper from the left wing, off of an assist from Rodriguez and on the following play, Lockhart was fouled on an attempt by Juarez. She converted both shots at the line to push their lead to, 36-19, with 2:35 to play in the half.

Hale Center took a time out with 2:35 to play in the half, and out of the break, Shultz was fouled on the floor by Juarez earning a pair of free throws. She converted both shots at the line and with under a minute to play in the half, Lockhart was fouled on the floor by Mariyah Espinosa, earning a trip to the line. She too sank both shots from the charity stripe to push their lead to, 40-19.

Kara Franklin dropped in a layup off of an assist from Laurel Benson, drawing an and-one foul on Brianna Sanchez. She missed the free throw leaving the score, 40-21, with just over 45 seconds to play in the half. Herrera dropped in a lay-up on the left side, picking up an and-one foul on Baca. She sank the free throw and at the buzzer, Shultz buried a deep three from the right elbow to extend their lead to, 46-21, going into the locker room at halftime.

Lockhart hit Shultz on a backdoor cut for a lay-up to open the second half, but Mariyah Espinosa answered with a pull-up jumper from the right elbow to make the score, 48-23. With 5:04 to play in the third, Herrera was fouled on a put-back attempt by Baca, earning a trip to the line. She split the free throws, stretching their lead to, 49-23.

On the other end, Mariyah Espinosa split a pair of free throws, after Martinez picked up her fourth foul of the game and Mariyah Espinosa followed it up with a jumper in the lane, before Lockhart fired right back with a jumper in the lane for Sudan to stretch the lead to, 51-26. With 4:05 to play in the third, Juarez was fouled on an attempt by Shultz and converted both free throws, but on the other end, Lockhart answered with a turnaround jumper in the lane off of an assist from Rodriguez to make the score, 53-28.

Makayla Espinosa knocked down a three from the right wing off of an assist from Kara Franklin, and Sudan took a time out with 3:03 to play in the third, leading Hale Center, 53-31. Out of the break, Rodriguez dropped in a floater in the lane off of an assist from Shultz and Lockhart found Montes on a cut to the basket for a lay-up to extend their lead to, 5731, with just over two minutes remaining in the third. Benson dropped in a lay-up off of an assist from Kandace Franklin, but in the closing seconds of the quarter, Lockhart drained a fade-away jumper from the right wing to extend their lead to, 59-33, going into the final quarter of play.

Lockhart hit Shultz on a cut to the basket for a lay-up to open the fourth quarter and Montes followed it up with a three from the left wing off of an assist from Lockhart, making the score, 64-33. Lorena Espinosa split a pair of free throws and then followed it up with a three from the left elbow to trim the lead to, 64-37, with 4:46 remaining in the contest. Hale Center took a time out with 4:11 to play in the game, and out of the break, Tolbert was fouled on the floor by Kandace Franklin. She converted both shots on the one-in-one opportunity to make the score, 6637.

Makayla Espinosa knocked down a three from the top of the key, but Shultz answered with a three of her own from the left elbow and she was fouled on their next possession by Kara Franklin, earning a trip to the line. She sank both free throws to extend their lead to, 71-40, with 1:41 to play in the game.

Shultz sank a pair of free throws after being fouled by Kandace Franklin, but Jazzlynn Guerra banked in a deep three from the right elbow to make the score, 7343. With time winding down in the contest, Tolbert was fouled on the floor by Kara Franklin and she sank both free throws, as Sudan went on to take the contest, 75-43.

Shultz led the team in scoring with 24 points, to go along with eight rebounds and one steal, while Lockhart tallied 23 points, eight assists, four rebounds, three steals and one block. Herrera contributed nine points and nine rebounds, while Montes added eight points, seven rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Tolbert tallied seven points, five rebounds and one assist, while Rodriguez added four points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal and Martinez finished with six steals, one rebound and one assist.

The Nettes hosted Smyer on Friday. Results were not available at press time. They will close out the regular season on Tuesday with a road game against New Deal.

Tip-off is scheduled for 6:15 p.m.