Lady Warriors Play Tough in Loss at Arizona Christian
Aaliyah Clemons leads Warriors with 20 points.
Battling through an early deficit, the Nelson Lady Warriors' Women's Basketball team (0-3) showed flashes of resilience in a tough early-season matchup, but ultimately fell 91-50 to the Arizona Christian Firestorm (1-4).
The Firestorm jumped out to a quick 9-0 lead to open the game, but the Lady Warriors dug in, matching Arizona Christian point-for-point the rest of the first quarter 13-13, to trail just 22-13 heading into the second. While the gap widened as the Firestorm pulled away, in which they build a commanding 69-29 advantage heading into the fourth quarter, Nelson remained undaunted, saving their best for last, erupting for a team-quarter-high 21 points in the fourth while being outscored by just one, narrowing the final margin emphasized by their Warrior spirit.
Aaliyah Clemons paced the Warriors with a game-high 20 points, the only Nelson player in double figures, delivering difficult buckets throughout to keep the team competitive. Tatiana Ayala stuffed the stat sheet herself, finishing with 6 points, a team-bests with 11 rebounds and 6 assists, controlling the glass and facilitating the offense amid the adversity. Defensively, the Lady Warriors held Arizona Christian to just 31.8% from beyond the arc, a bright spot that limited the damage from deep and showcased their perimeter toughness.
For Arizona Christian, Charlotte O'Neal dominated with 20 points and 18 rebounds on an efficient 9-of-11 shooting, powering the Firestorm's interior attack.
Up next for the Warriors is back-to-back home games against the University of the Southwest (NM) on Friday, November 14, at 5pm, with the second game a matinee the following day at 1pm.
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