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PFLUGERVILLE — A remarkable season for the Smithville Lady Tigers ended Friday, Feb. 14, in a 45-39 loss to the Jarrell Cougars in the area round of the playoffs at Pflugerville High School.
Smithville finished with 25 wins and 10 los ses, captur ing a district championship along the way and cementing a new standard for the program.
The opening quarters were a defensive struggle, with Smithville clinging to a two-point lead after the first eight minutes behind junior guard Sydnie Brenner, who scored seven of the Lady Tigers’ eight points.
Jarrell reclaimed the advantage early in the second quarter, but senior Arabella Gutierrez and junior forward Briyanna Sanchez helped Smithv i l le respond with a 6-2 run that pushed the margin to 16-11.
The Cougars then i nc hed bac k , and Smithville trailed 19-18 at halftime.
Turnovers and missed shots plagued the Lady Tigers in the thi rd quarter, allowing Jarrell to expand its lead to 26-22.
Junior Ladonjie Lewis gave Smithville a spark with more than 20 points overall, while Brenner added 10, but the Cougars carried a 33-26 edge into the final period.
Refus ing to quit , Smithville cut the deficit to three points with just three minutes remaining. However, Jarrell capitalized on late turnovers to secure the v ictory, bringing an end to a historic season and deep playoff push.
