Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Lady Panther sophomore Kambree Phillips fends off a Sulphur Springs defender while driving Dec. 2.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Honey Aldridge of Mabank drives into the lane for a first-period basket against Sulphur Springs.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Nina Sanchez (on floor) gets a rebound to teammate Makinley White, who dribbles downcourt Dec. 2.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Presley Sims, a Mabank sophomore, dribbles through the Sulphur Springs defense Dec. 2.

MABANK–The Mabank Lady Panthers basketball team battled the visiting Sulphur Springs Lady Wildcats Dec. 2, with a Sulphur Springs 3-pointer with 36.8 seconds left in the game making the difference in the close non-district matchup.
Sulphur Springs led 13-11 with 6 minutes left until halftime. About a minute later, Mabank’s Honey Aldridge drove into the lane for a hoop to tie the contest at 13-13. Another minute later, Aldridge grabbed an offensive rebound in the lane, with her follow-up turnaround basket giving the Lady Panthers a 15-13 advantage.
Later, the Lady Wildcats hit a 3-pointer to take a 16-15 lead. After that, Aldridge grabbed another offensive rebound in the lane and was fouled as she made the basket. Aldridge’s foul shot handed Mabank an 18-16 lead with 3 minutes left until intermission. Aldridge tallied another offensive rebound and follow-up basket combo with more than a minute left in the first half, increasing the Lady Panther lead to 20-16. Sulphur Springs scored one more basket to get within 20-18 at the half.
After Sulphur Springs opened the second half with a single free throw, Aldridge yet again corralled an offensive rebound and then scored a basket, which made it 22-19 in favor of Mabank. The Lady Wildcats countered with a bucket and two technical foul free throws to take a 23-22 lead with 4:35 left in the third period. Mabank sophomore Presley Sims made one free throw later. Sims’ missed second shot from the charity stripe went errant but was controlled by Mabank, which the offense then converted into another Aldridge hoop. Mabank now led 25-23.
After Sulphur Springs tied the game again, Lady Panther sophomore Kambree Phillips made a basket under the goal to seize the lead again. Then, with 2 minutes left in the third period, Aldridge rattled in another basket for a 29-25 Mabank lead. Three more Mabank free throws, two of them by Phillips, had the Lady Panthers cruising along at 31-25. Sulphur Springs scored one more basket in the third period, which ended at 31-27, Mabank.
Sulphur Springs started their fourth-period scoring with two free throws, then with 6:53 left in the game, Aldridge answered with a hoop to give Mabank another 4-point lead, at 33-29. Ten seconds after that, Sulphur Springs hit a hoop and added another free throw, all of which got the Lady Wildcats within one point. Aldridge scored again, which Sulphur Springs answered, meaning Mabank again held a single-point lead, at 35-34. Two Kendal Woods free throws for Mabank gave the Lady Panthers a three-point cushion, then after a single Sulphur Springs free throw, Aldridge added another basket, which established a 39-35 Mabank advantage.
The shootout continued until Sulphur Springs tied the contest at 41-41 with just over a minute left in the game. With 36.8 seconds remaining, Sulphur Springs made what would be their game-clinching 3-pointer, then tacked on a free throw with 11.52 ticks on the clock to seize a Lady Wildcat 45-41 win.