COLDSPRING — Friday night delivered a basketball marathon as the Coldspring Lady Trojans and the New Waverly Lady Bulldogs battled in a thrilling double-overtime showdown that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
When the final buzzer sounded, New Waverly escaped with a 75-68 victory, taking the win back home after one of the most competitive games of the season.
From the opening tip, the game was defined by intensity and defensive toughness. Neither team was willing to give ground in the paint, and when opportunities opened up, both squads answered from beyond the arc. The Highway 150 rivals traded momentum throughout the night, with the gym packed wall-to-wall and the atmosphere electric.
The Lady Trojans entered the fourth quarter fighting foul trouble, which became a critical factor down the stretch. As regulation ended tied at 53, the game moved into overtime. Both teams continued to battle through the first extra period, remaining deadlocked and forcing a second overtime.
In the second overtime, New Waverly found another gear, outscoring Coldspring 22-15 across the two overtime periods to secure the victory.
Coldspring was led offensively by cousins Alayla Goffney and Shantel Goffney, who combined for 21 points. Camiyah Hines delivered a standout performance, scoring 21 points of her own while going 5-for-12 from the free-throw line.
Despite the loss, the outcome had little impact on the district playoff picture. Anderson remains set as the District II representative, while Coldspring is still positioned to secure the top seed as the District I representative.
On Feb. 3, The Lady Trojans were edged out 58-53 by Anderson-Shiro.
Following the conclusion of the boys junior varsity game, which saw Shepherd earn a victory over Liberty’s JV squad, the Lady Pirates took the floor with a level of confidence that had not been seen earlier this season.
From the opening tip through the end of the third quarter, Shepherd controlled the tempo and executed well on both ends of the court, positioning themselves strongly for a potential win.
However, early in the fourth quarter, the momentum of the game shifted dramatically due to unexpected injuries to two Shepherd players. Most notably, Shepherd’s primary point guard suffered an ankle injury that forced her to the sideline.
With key rotations disrupted, Head Coach Eldridge McAdams was tasked with quickly adjusting both the offensive and defensive schemes for the remainder of the game. Liberty capitalized on the situation, increasing pressure and finding success offensively during the final minutes of the contest. The Panthers took control in the latter half of the fourth quarter and were able to secure the win despite Shepherd’s strong performance through the first three periods, and the final scored was 45-33.
Statistically, Shepherd demonstrated solid contributions across the lineup. Dakiyah Clark led the Lady Pirates with 12 points, going 2-for-4 from the free-throw line. Jazz Richardson added 9 points and was perfect from the line at 1-for-1, while Kiona King contributed 4 points and went 2-for-2 on free throws.
On Friday, Shepherd fell to Hargrave 34-27.
