No. 20 Irion County Suffocates No. 19 Menard to Advance to Round 2

SAN ANGELO, TX — Suffocating, smothering defense. That sums up No. 20 Irion County's impressive win over No. 19 Menard in the opening round of the playoffs in San Angelo on Monday night. Irion dominated the turnover margin early to build an insurmountable lead over the Lady Jackets and claim a Bi-District Championship, 48-24.

"Always proud of my girls," Irion County Head Coach Don Coffell said after the Bi-District Championship win. "Just a bunch of savage ladies is what I call them. They get after it all the time. They are a blessing to get to coach, a blessing to be around, and I look forward to moving forward to the next round."

Irion County and Menard both struggled to score from range early, but it was the Lady Hornets full court pressure and speed in transition that gave Irion County the lead.

"We work hard on transition," Coffell continued. "We want to get up and down the floor. We want to push the ball, and we want to put a lot of pressure on their defense, as well as their offense. If we can get out in transition, a lot of girls' teams are not good at that."

After only allowing four points in the 1st quarter and seven points in the 2nd, Irion County carried a 27-10 lead into the half.

Menard showed their mettle early on in the 3rd quarter. The Lady Jackets went on a 6-0 run to pull within 11 before Irion County began to pull away again. Despite winning the 3rd quarter, Menard still trailed by double digits entering the final period.

In the 4th, Irion County's conditioning and depth made its presence known. Menard played hard, but the Lady Hornets had too many fresh legs for Menard to slow Irion County down. The Lady Hornets claimed the victory and the Bi-District Championship, 48-24. 

"We're nine deep, and we play everybody," Coffell said of the team's conditioning. "We do that because we try to get up and down the floor."

Irion County's Presli Cormier led all scorers in the contest with 11 points. Kylee Sommerville led Menard with six points, both three-point shots.

The Lady Hornets looked dominant on defense, but Coach Coffell says they still have not played their best game.

"We still haven't had that one game where we are just lighting it up," Coffell concluded. "But that game is coming. I told my girls that we are peaking at the right time, and I have a feeling that that time is coming."

Next up, the No. 20 Lady Hornets will play Buena Vista in the Area Round. The date, time and location of the upcoming matchup is still to be determined.