HS Girls Basketball Playoffs: Lady Highlanders Thrash MacArthur in Bi-District Blowout

OAK RIDGE NORTH, TX -- The utterly dominant Woodlands Lady Highlanders shell-shocked the 14-6A MacArthur Lady Generals in a 68-21 Monday night beating in the Bi-District round.

After finishing the regular season with a resounding 99-point outing against the New Caney Lady Eagles, The Woodlands readied themselves for a battle against an opponent of similar strength.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Lady Highlander Head Coach Ashley Davis discussed the approach of taking on a playoff opponent less than a week after ending the regular season.

“We’re really just trying to stay focused, be consistent, and continue our routine,” said Davis. “Obviously, we’re shifting to the playoffs, but as consistent and routine as we can be, that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Without hesitation, the Lady Highlander resumed their immaculate play to quickly jump ahead on the scoreboard less than a minute into play.

After scoring the opening basket, the Lady Highlander defenders ramped up the pressure with an intense full-court press.

Steals in the open floor scuttled multiple MacArthur possessions before they had even crossed half-court. The steals turned into easy layups, which led to an 8-0 Woodlands run before the first minute had ticked off the scoreboard.

A timeout from the Lady General coaching staff tried to stop the bleeding, but the Lady Highlanders snagged one final steal to push the opening score to 10-0 for The Woodlands.

“That’s what we wanted to hone in on, was our defense,” said Davis. “It’s something that we do well. We put pressure on the ball. We try to apply as much pressure as we can and make those guards have to deal with seeing more than one person, and that was kind of our focus building up to this game.”

It took a Woodlands foul under the rim, and a single MacArthur free throw to get the squad from 14-6A on the board, but the stranglehold put on by The Woodlands’ defense refused to relinquish control.

Trapping by the Lady Highlander defense harassed the Lady General guards for every second they tried to work the offense. Even on MacArthur’s possessions that did score points, the shots had to come while contested or as a result of movement away from the ball.

By comparison, the Lady Highlanders coasted when conducting their first-quarter offense.

Quick ball movement around the three-point line gave open, sure-fire shooters time to make collected looks. Dribble penetration also helped find holes in the MacArthur defense for pull-up jumpers between the soft zone.

“I think that comes down to trusting each other,” said Davis on the effectiveness of the offense. “Since we’ve played at this pace all season long, I think we’re peaking in our understanding that making that extra pass and trusting my teammate allows her to do her job.”

The Woodlands’ end-to-end control of the first quarter set the stage for a promising showing by the 13-6A runners-up. The 31-7 lead after the first eight minutes continued the relentless pace established by the Lady Highlanders that ended their impressive regular season.

Despite a drop-off in scoring by both teams, the Lady Highlanders maintained their suffocating grip on the game.

The run that ended the first quarter carried over seamlessly into the second, ending in a game-high 17-0 tear for the Lady Highlanders.

MacArthur’s response was limited similar to their lackluster first quarter. Regardless of substitutes, the Lady Generals could not solve the enigma that was The Woodlands’ defense.

More turnovers and a lengthy stretch of empty MacArthur possessions meant the Lady Generals could only muster four points throughout the entire second quarter.

Meanwhile, the Lady Highlanders continued to flex their might against the visibly shaken squad from MacArthur. Hounding ball pressure from Rachael Roberts poked several would-be possessions into the backcourt for lead-stretching layups.

The points were so lopsided that The Woodlands took the momentum of the quarter into a 30-point lead for a few moments before a Lady General bucket slightly notched it down.

The Woodlands’ 39-11 lead going into halftime looked like a mountain compared to the Lady Generals' struggling production. Major changes needed to be made in the locker rooms to prevent the game from becoming more of a Woodladns blowout.

“Our focus is always more on us,” said Davis. “We want to make sure we always stay on the gas. Whatever adjustments they are going to make, we’re going to handle them how we see fit.”

The Woodlands’ trust in the proven approach of high-intensity defense manifested another strong showing from the team sitting firmly in the driver’s seat.

Starters returned to the floor for the Lady Highlanders, putting their best feet forward in a quarter that acted as the final blow to an already thoroughly beaten opponent.

Roberts kept up her remorseless defense around midcourt by keeping a quick shuffle and active hands in the face of the hurried guards in front of her. Roberts’ steals jumpstarted transition plays cashed in by the Lady Highlanders running their outlet lanes.

Added pressure from the equally tenacious Kasyn Pino prevented the Lady Generals from establishing any semblance of rhythm during another brutal stretch of play.

The best offense for the Lady Generals was to work the ball into the paint where either fouls or layups snagged reliable points for the previously ineffective MacArthur offense.

MacArthur’s points were needed, but the luxury of a massive lead and scorers who refused to let off the gas left the Lady Highlander fostering another dominant lead at the end of the quarter.

A 58-19 Woodlands lead was more than enough for the Lady Highlanders to call off the dogs during the fourth, but the clear disparity in play between the two teams showed no signs of getting the Lady Highlanders to stop.

Deep parts of the bench saw lengthy play for both sides in a fourth quarter that was effectively over before it had started.

Applause and cheers for the girls who entered the game provided the last gasps of energy for some players making their final high school appearances for MacArthur.

Even Lady Highlander players who came off the bench received lengthy cheers for their showings. Each Woodlands player that entered the floor played their part in finishing the job by keeping the same control as the players they came in for.

“That makes a coach feel good when you can turn to the bench and your bench gives you the same production as the starters,” said a happy Davis. “I’m excited that those things happen because all of those girls work hard in practice. So when they get the opportunity to display it, they do just that.”

Back-and-forth possessions and a handful of insurance makes from The Woodlands sapped the last minutes of the clock with little opposition.

The merciful final buzzer ended the lopsided matchup in a sure-fire, 68-21 Woodlands victory to hoist the Bi-District Championship banner.

“For us, it’s been a hurdle just getting to the playoffs. Now getting past the first round, it’s been over 10 years since we’ve actually done that,” said Davis. “For one thing, it builds our confidence, and I think confidence in the way we’re playing right now fuels us to try and play better.”

The Lady Highlanders await their next opponent in the Area Round where they will face the winner of the matchup between Bridgeland and Klein.

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