The Shepherd Lady Pirates responded in dominant fashion Friday night against the Tarkington Lady Longhorns, turning the page after a tough loss to Hardin-Jefferson and delivering one of their most complete performances of the season.
Following last week’s setback, Head Coach Eldridge McAdams challenged his team to reset mentally and refocus.
“I told the girls we had to forget last week’s game and focus on being competitive against the Lady Longhorns,” McAdams said. From the opening tip, Shepherd did exactly that.
The Lady Pirates held Tarkington scoreless until deep into the second quarter. Relentless pressure, disciplined rotations, and unselfish play defined the night, keeping the Lady Longhorns out of rhythm and searching for answers.
“Our offense and defense were competitive,” McAdams added. “We still need to improve at the foul line, and we’ll work on that next week.”
Offensively, the Lady Pirates shared the load. Kiona King, senior guard, led the way with 10 points, while Aliyah Thomas, junior guard, controlled the hardwood with 9 points, going 3-for-6 at the line. Dakiyah Clark, senior guard, added 8 points and went 2-for-3 at the foul line.
The depth of the Shepherd roster proved decisive. Even after Coach McAdams began rotating in substitutions, the defensive intensity remained high — a testament to the team’s trust and commitment to one another. As senior Kaci Roberts summed it up after the game, “If your shots don’t fall, your teammates have your back. Eventually they start falling. It’s all about teamwork.”
With the win, the Lady Pirates improve to 1–1 in district play and are clearly building momentum.
A midday bout during the winter break went down to the wire as the Lady Trojans edged out the Groveton Indians 43-42 under the gaze of new head coach Trey Bullock.
