ODESSA, TX – Permian and Midland High’s girls basketball teams fought like cats and dogs on Tuesday at the PHS Fieldhouse. By game’s end, Mojo had held on for a 52-50 win in the district home opener.
Leading 36-34 after three quarters, the Lady Panthers were able to exchange jabs with the Lady Bulldogs throughout the final eight minutes. At one point, Mojo fell behind by five but stayed resilient and evened the tally with just 12 seconds remaining in regulation. Karen Guzman nailed a three-point shot to tie the game at 50-50 and bring the crowd to their feet.
Midland pushed the ball to mid-court, but Camila Leal made a defensive play on a loose ball and got fouled. With just five ticks on the game clock, the junior guard stepped to the line and made the pair of game-winning free throws.
Permian had started the game flat and the Lady Bulldogs took advantage to take an early 11-4 lead. The Lady Panthers found their groove and responded with an impressive defensive stand in the second frame. Jae Savage and Daysia Christian caught fire to give Mojo a 17-point quarter and two point lead at the break.
Trying to build onto a 21-19 halftime lead, the Lady Panthers were able to exchange jabs with the Lady Bulldogs throughout the second half. The lead changed hands several times with the district rivals continuing to battle through the third quarter. Midland High managed to build a six-point lead at one point, and then a five-point buffer as time was running down in the final frame. Guzman and Leal came up huge in the late rally for the Lady Black Cats to secure the win.
Christian finished the night with a game-high 18 points, while Guzman had 12 and Savage scored 10. Leal and Nodia Cooper each ended the game with five points. Permian (1-1) will celebrate the victory tonight before preparing for Midland Lee (0-2). Mojo will host the contest this Friday back in the PHS Fieldhouse. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
BY QUARTER | |||||
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
Midland | 11 | 08 | 15 | 16 | 50 |
Permian | 04 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 52 |
TOP SCORERS
Midland
Kobe Powell 6 2-2 14, Amaya Gill 5 0-2 10, Noemi Arciga 3 1-2 7, Sam Braudaway 1 4-6 6, Ahmaria Tennon 1 2-4 5
Permian
Daysia Christian 8 2-3 18, Karen Guzman 4 3-6 12, Jae Savage 4 2-4 10, Nodia Cooper 2 1-4 5, Camila Leal 1 2-2 5
3-pts: Midland – 1 (Tennon 1) | Permian – 2 (Guzman 1, Leal 1)
Fouls: Midland – 21 | Permian – 18