This has been a tough, rebuilding season for the Lee High girls’ basketball team, which carried a 2-15 overall record going into this week’s play. Nevertheless, Lancer head coach Harold Jackson said his team has shown good improvement over the course of the winter season, even if it cannot be measured with wins and losses.
“We are still in the rebuilding stages but have improved a lot this season,” said Jackson, whose young squad includes several freshmen and sophomore team members.
In Lee’s recent Patriot District game at Annandale High this past Monday night, Jan. 30, the Lancers gave the Atoms a good contest but fell short 48-39. The Lancers have also played other district opponents within eight points or closer in recent weeks, including home setbacks to Lake Braddock, 49-41, on Jan. 24 and W.T. Woodson, 64-58, on Jan. 10, as well as a 52-51 defeat at South County on Jan. 20.
The loss to South County, along with defeats to district opponent West Potomac and non-district foe Hayfield, all came in the final seconds. Lee, 1-9 in the district, had beaten South County, 68-49, in a home game back on Dec. 16 in the two teams’ first of two meetings this season. The Lancers’ other victory this season came in its season opener on Dec. 2 – a 52-19 victory over Stuart High (National District).
“We have had several close games but can’t seem to find a way to win at the end,” said Jackson. “Hopefully with another year of experience, we will improve in this area.”
IN MONDAY’S LOSS to Annandale, Lee led 21-20 at halftime. But the Atoms outscored the Lancers 13-6 in the third quarter to go ahead 33-27 and went on to win by the nine point margin. Lee’s leading scorers in the game were junior guard Adeli Block (10 points), sophomore center Amber Bryson (8), freshman forward Tacera Kelley (8), and junior guard and Megan Cox (7).
The Lancers’ top two players this season have been backcourt players Block and Cox.
Newcomers to the varsity this season are junior forward Gabrielle Auza, sophomore center Bernadette Jefferson, ninth grader Kelley, and sophomore forward Sydney Murphy.
“Tacera [Kelley] is a freshman who has helped us in the post and Sydney was a potential starter but she tore her ACL the first game of the season,” said Jackson.
In the one-point loss to South County on Jan. 20, Cox scored a game-high 19 points and Block tallied 11 points, while Bryson added eight. South County’s Angela Banks (16) scored a driving layup basket in the final seconds to win that game for the Stallions.
In Lee’s eight-point loss to Lake Braddock four days later, Cox scored 17 points, Block 13, and Kelley seven for the Lancers. The Bruins, meanwhile, had solid games from Natalie Butler (14 points), McKenzie Hunter (11), and Marcia Altman (8).
Just a couple more weeks remain in the regular season before the start of postseason play with the Patriot District Tournament. This week, Lee was scheduled to play at Woodson on Thursday, Feb. 2. The Lancers’ next home game is next Tuesday, Feb. 7 when they meet the Wolverines of West Potomac.