Lady Dogs fall to Normangee in area round of playoffs

The Thorndale Lady Dogs basketball team took on the Normangee Lady Panthers on Friday in the area round of the playoffs. They fell to Normangee in a 37-35 heartbreaking defeat.

The game started tight as both teams had trouble scoring early. The Lady Dogs would try to get their offense rolling with a layup by Makayla Lafferty (13) to take a 4-2 lead. Thorndale then gave up the lead 7-5 but regained it right back with a three pointer by Kassidy Eubanks (3) to make the score 8-7. The first quarter ended with the Lady Dogs trailing 9-8.

The second quarter started slow for Thorndale as they fell behind 16-11. Thorndale marched back and tied the score at 16 on a big three point shot by Kyndal Robinson (14). That would be followed by another three-pointer by Eubanks to take a 19-16 lead. The Lady Panthers clawed back and took back the lead to give Thorndale a 21-19 deficit. That would also be the score at halftime.

Normangee started the third quarter on a scoring spurt taking the lead back from Thorndale for a 26-19 deficit. The Lady Dogs kept fighting with a layup by Kelsey Kovar (23) to make the score 29-23. That was followed with a layup by Lafferty for a 29-25 game. Thorndale closed the gap to within two points with a huge basket by Kinley Meadors (25) making the score 31-29, which would be the score at the end of the third quarter.

The Lady Dogs tied the score at 31 on a layup by Lafferty to start the fourth quarter. The Lady Panthers responded with a few baskets of their own to put Thorndale behind 36-31. The Lady Dogs answered back with a layup by Kovar to make the score 36-33. The Lady Dogs gave themselves a chance to win late with a layup by Bailee Baker (10) to make it a two point 37-35 game. It would not be enough as the Lady Dogs would come up short 37-35.