Smithson Valley’s inside presence proved to be too much for San Marcos to contain in Saturday afternoon’s District 25-5A fourth-place tie-breaker, as the Lady Rattlers’ season came to an end with a 53-41 loss at New Braunfels High School.
Smithson Valley’s size advantage came into play in the second quarter, as Elizabeth Cathcart two 3-pointers and Allison Baker’s six points inside spurred a 16-5 run that gave the Lady Rangers a lead they would never relinquish. Smithson Valley held a 34-22 lead at the half.
The Lady Rattlers struggled at the free-throw line, hitting only 9-of-22 from the line, as Smithson Valley scored five free throws and two field goals to take a 43-28 lead into the final frame.
The Lady Rangers upped the advantage to as many as 19 in the fourth, forcing San Marcos to commit numerous fouls down the stretch. Smithson Valley went on to make 7-of-10 from the charity stripe to secure the win.
Hill led the Lady Rattlers with 12 points, while pulling down five rebounds and nabbing three steals. Jasmine Gonzales had six points, while Brianna Brown threw in five.
Cathcart led Smithson Valley with 18 points.
The loss ended San Marcos’ season with an overall record of 8-26 on the season, while Smithson Valley improved to 14-21.