By CLAIRE CRUZ, Staff Writer
LYFORD — The Lyford Lady Bulldogs are now the lone District 31-3A squad with an unblemished district record after defeating the Donna IDEA Lady Titans in a clash that took two days to complete.
Lyford and Donna IDEA tipped off their first meeting of the season Friday, but a power outage in Lyford caused the game to be paused. The two teams finished the game Tuesday, with the contest picking up with 2:06 left in the first quarter. Damaris Bermudez and Sabrie Romo led the way to keep the Lady Bulldogs in control and secure a 46-29 win.
“It was a huge win,” Lyford coach Teresa Gutierrez said. “We wanted to … know as a team where we stand, because next week is the last game of the first round. We didn’t want (Donna IDEA) to think that they were going to beat us at either place, so we defended home court and it was good for us.”
The Lady Bulldogs led 12-3 when play resumed and dominated the second quarter, outscoring the Lady Titans 18-4 to extend their advantage to 32-9 at halftime. Lyford’s full-court press, spearheaded by the duo of Bermudez and Emily Gonzalez, consistently recorded steals as Donna IDEA tried to move the ball up the court, resulting in easy buckets for the Lady Bulldogs.
Bermudez was effective running Lyford’s offense, driving hard to the basket and dishing assists to her teammates. The junior led all scorers with 11 points and paced the Lady Bulldogs with her energy, which is exactly what Gutierrez has wanted to see from her point guard.
“(Bermudez is) doing awesome,” Gutierrez said. “This is what I wish she would’ve done her freshman and sophomore year. She’s had the capability, but she kind of sat back and let the older kids lead. I told her, ‘This year you need to be our highest scorer and then get everybody else involved.’ She opens things up for everybody else. All they have to do is cut and be in their spot, and she’s going to find them.”
The Lady Titans kept pushing despite the deficit and increased their production during the second half. Clara Salinas, Layla Perez and Lydia Torres were relentless in their effort, and Maritzan Welton battled hard in the paint against Lyford’s post players.
Donna IDEA drove hard to the basket and drew a plethora of fouls but struggled to take advantage of its opportunities. The Lady Titans were 6-for-18 from the free-throw line during the final two quarters and 7-for-24 overall. Salinas (eight points) and Perez (six points) were especially effective for IDEA Donna on offense and defense, and helped chip away at Lyford’s lead in the second half.
“In the first half we came out slow, but in the second half we came out firing and that’s what I want to see,” Lady Titans coach Andrew Sierra said. “Lyford’s a tough team, Coach T has them as an established program. I feel that our girls can play with them, we just have to play all four quarters. We just have to be well-prepared. Second half’s coming up, we have to make some adjustments here and there, but I think we’ll be better second time around.”
Lyford slowed things down late in the third quarter, which caused a dip in offensive efficiency. The Lady Bulldogs committed several turnovers and only scored five points during the fourth, but they also got many bench players significant playing time in the second half.
Romo (10 points), Gonzalez (eight points) and Marley Perez (seven points) played well throughout the two-day affair, and solid defense from Alyssa Garcia and Destiny Gonzalez also benefitted Lyford. The win helped the Lady Bulldogs (9-3, 5-0) get a step closer to the district title by handing Donna IDEA (8-2, 7-1) its first district loss.