The wintery mix falling in the area did not stop the Lady Bison and fans from traveling to Madisonville last night, and it did not stop the Lady Bison from outscoring Anderson-Shiro quarter after quarter, ending with a 58-40 victory and a Bi-District title. Defeating Jarrell is the next step in the girls’ trek into post-district play.

“I was proud of the girls performance last night,” head coach Jozette Jenkins said.  “This group seems very determined to stay in the fight.  Their chemistry is great and they are fun to watch.”

The match-up with Jarrell will not be the first of its kind for the Lady Bison; last season saw the same two teams meet for the Area title, with Jarrell coming out on top. Still, Jenkins thinks that while the game will be tough, her girls can turn Friday night into another victory.

“Friday’s game will be a chore – we meet up again with Jarrell, who knocked us out at Area last year,” Jenkins said. “They’ve graduated four starters, but still have a great program nonetheless.  Our plan is to prepare, open up fighting and come out with a victory.”

     Part of Jenkin’s strategy with her team is motivation. Step one was planning the team’s trip to Florida to compete in December. Jenkins’ second wave of motivation came as the team traveled to Crockett for tournament play, and she pitched another sale to the girls by inquiring about their thoughts of going on a team cruise. The team’s excitement grew when their coach tossed out a challenge: a team cruise.

     “I agreed to gladly chaperon the team on an affordable cruise out of Galveston if we make it to Regional Finals,”  Jenkins said.

     The playoffs have seen new additions to the Lady Bison line-up. Junior varsity players Hannah Eakin, Erykah Anderson, Kendall Lee, Karina Sotelo and Carol Shlichting have all been moved to varsity.

     “Being on varsity is much more intense than being on JV,” junior Erykah Anderson said. “Competing against more advanced players helps me to become a better player myself.”

      The Area game is scheduled for Friday night at Waco Midway High School with tip off at 6:00.