2012-13 Lady Warriors Basketball
Posted by Tom Shea, The Tehachapi News, on March 9, 2013 Lady Warriors Reach State Playoffs
For the first time since the 2004-2005 season, the Lady Warriors reached the state playoffs and a chance to showcase their skills with some of the premier teams in California.
Mountain Basketball drew the no. 12 seed among 16 teams in the southern bracket and was matched up against no.5 seed Reseda, falling 57-40 on the road last Wednesday.
An overwhelming favorite against Tehachapi (23-7), the Los Angeles Southern Section CIF champion Regents found themselves in a close game with the Warriors early on with only a 14-9 first quarter advantage.
Reseda (22-5) was aggressive from the onset, putting Tehachapi in the double bonus by picking up their 10th first half foul with just over five minutes remaining in the second quarter. The fouls led to 28 free throw attempts overall for the Lady Warriors, but a 9-28 performance at the line handicapped any chance at an upset.
The Lady Warriors’ zone defense worked well in the first half against Reseda, particularly against their standout forward Ahlisha Henderson, who came into the state playoffs averaging 31.4 points but finished well below her average by game’s end.
Alyssa Garcia helped Tehachapi get as close as 32-21 in the third quarter with a pair of three pointers, finishing with 10 points overall in the game.
Leading the team overall was Danielle Simpson and Rheanna Cowee, who each had a double-double. Simpson had a game high 12 points and 18 rebounds, while Cowee had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Briana Gutierrez also had a three-pointer, Dani Peacon converted three free throws and Kelsey Vance had a basket to round out the scoring.
The Lady Warriors were coached this year by Renn Amstead and Sheri Dees. Seniors playing their final game for Tehachapi were Brooke Hurt, Briana Gutierrez, Cedar Parrott, Danielle Simpson, Rheanna Cowee and Alexis Schoenberg.