This is not the time for the Byron Nelson Lady Bobcats to be struggling. A pair of blown fourth-quarter leads told the story last week.
Nelson (19-13, 8-5 in 5-4A) blew one to Denton Guyer on Jan. 29 and then repeated it in Wichita Falls last Friday. Now, the hope of reaching 10 district wins is gone and the chance to finish any higher than third is also gone. Nelson was tied for third with Old High.But the Lady Bobcats are in the playoffs. The issue for Tuesday in the home finale against White Settlement Brewer was how this team would handle the disappointment.“I think we’ll play with effort against Brewer," coach Darren Wilson said. “We’ll be fine. We have to make our free throws and just go back to what us brought us to 19 wins and the winning streak we had last month."As Nelson finished with Brewer, Wichita Falls finished at Lake Dallas. Now, a Nelson win and Wichita Falls loss would mean Nelson finishes third. Flip the outcomes and Nelson finishes fourth.Should they both win or lose, then there will be a discussion as to whether the programs will flip for the third seed or play for it.“We talked about it," Wilson said. “They would like to flip for it, but I want to play for it. Obviously, the district minutes will tell what we can and can’t do."If the teams were to play for the third seed, Nelson would seek a neutral location rather than risk playing for home court advantage. What each team does know is that it will either play Saginaw or Fort Worth Dunbar from 6-4A in the bi-district round. Those teams are running first and second respectively.Why they are strugglingThe Lady Bobcats have had their issues because they haven’t been as consistent rebounding and hitting free throws.In the 50-47 loss to Guyer, they were only 3-12 at the foul line. If they go 7-12, they win. Against Wichita Falls, the team’s lack of overall size really cost them in rebounding.“We’re not getting the defensive rebounding we need," Wilson said. “It’s not due to a lack of effort. It’s just been a chore for us to block them out. They were just jumping over us cleanly. It’s frustrating because you fix one thing and then you turn around and have to do another."Admittedly, Wilson saw his team play a little tight in the close and late situations. That surprised him because this team went through some tough moments last year as it fought to get to the playoffs.“There were some nerves involved," Wilson said. “You could see them be tentative and be a little tight with the ball. It was very much playing not to lose. We have great athletes. They just have to relax."Northwest updateThe season mercifully was scheduled to end for the Lady Texans (2-27, 0-13 in District 4-5A) Tuesday against Keller Central. Last week, they suffered blowout losses to Keller Timber Creek and Richland. In neither game did they break 30 points. If Northwest did not beat Central, it would mean that this team did not win a game since early December.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
