By Spencer Spilman

The first matchup between crosstown rivals Hays Lady Rebels and Lehman Lady Lobos took place Tuesday night at the Lobo Den. 

Lehman jumped out to an early advantage in the game, but the Lady Rebels stormed back and maintained the lead on their way to a 61-35 win.

The Lady Lobos got out to an early 5-0 lead, but Hays answered with 12 straight points. 

Lehman’s Crystal Montoya knocked down a long three pointer, but Lady Rebels’ Gabriela Bosquez answered with 10 first-quarter points to give Hays a 14-10 lead. Bosquez finished the game with a team-high 14 points.

Bosquez was also given the tough task of guarding Lehman High freshman forward Makayla Coy. Coy struggled to score on Bosquez’s in-your-face defense, getting just four points from the free throw line. Coy found her shot in the second half and led all scorers with 17 points.

The Lady Rebels held Lehman to just two points in the second quarter, while they extended their lead to 28-12 before halftime. 

Everyone got into the action for the Lady Rebels as all but one player hit the scorebook during the game. Hays High junior guard Choon-Hee Chae knocked down three pointers, while Jada Finister did most of her work in the paint. Chae scored nine points while Finister finished with 13.

Lehman started to figure out the offense in the second half, as Montoya and Coy did most of the scoring. Both knocked down three point shots and Coy got the free throw line by drawing fouls while driving to the basket. Montoya scored nine points in the contest. 

Hays employed a tough man to man defense all game, which frustrated the Lady Lobos’ offense for most of the game. The Lady Rebels forced a variety of turnovers with their full court press, getting Lehman out of rhythm in its half-court offense. 

Hays also got some great minutes from its bench players, as all 11 players got into the game and made an impact. The Rebels were also able to effectively snag offensive rebounds. But Lady Rebel head coach Danny Preuss was disappointed with the amount of easy layups the team missed after the offensive boards.

“We just came off of a five game tournament, so I know they are tired, so it’s good that we have that much depth to rest some of the players,” said Preuss. 

The Lady Rebels continued to increase the lead to 49-22 going into the fourth quarter.

Lehman outscored the Lady Rebels in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late, as Hays took the first matchup between the two schools. 

The two schools won’t play again until the end of January. Hays will get ready for a home game against Anderson on Friday. Lehman will look to bounce back at Lake Travis Friday night.