Lobos keeping it close
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, January 20, 2026
By Gene Helfman
Weekly contributor
The Lobos hosted Providence Classical Christian at home Jan. 9. Both teams were coming off wins against Cedar Park Christian three days earlier, the Lady Lobos notching an easy 50-30 victory, while the men won a nail-biter 41-38.
The ladies opened the first quarter against Providence with long-court passes and fast breaks, but the Highlanders took down most of the rebounds. Lopez led 9-5 after the first quarter, maintained a small lead through the second quarter, and was up 16-11 at the half.
Providence pulled within a point in the third quarter, but Lopez managed a 28-25 lead after three periods. Lopez remained stuck at 28 while Providence went ahead 29-28 with only two minutes left.
Providence started fouling, and Evelyn Aguilar Clavel tied the game at 29 with a free throw. Kylie Willemsen hit a basket with only 20 seconds remaining, and then Elli Patrick sank a decisive free throw with 1.5 seconds remaining. This forced Providence into a desperation Hail Mary 3-pointer at the buzzer, which failed. The game ended Lopez 32, Providence 29. All starters contributed to the scoring, Betty Burt leading with 11 points. Willemsen had 7, Patrick 5, Arnott 4, Aguilar Clavel 3 and Iris Ervin McLean 2.
Coach Karrie Warner was complimentary of the effort but saw much room for improvement, especially on defense.
“We played really well but we couldn’t make our shots and we got out-rebounded,” she observed. “I’m really proud of the girls because our shots weren’t going in and we were still able to pull off the win. The girls were able to buckle down and stay strong despite the cold shooting, so that’s growth. We’re much better at knowing where different players are so we can run the plays we’ve been practicing, but we have to work more on rebounding.”
The men’s game began at a furious pace, both teams moving up and down the court, Lopez managing a 14-13 lead after one quarter.
The Lobos fell behind in the second period but tied things at the halftime buzzer. Providence jumped out ahead in the third period, but the Lobos pulled within one point after three periods, the score 27-26. Defense took over, and scoring stalled at 29 apiece halfway into the final period.
Providence sank a shot and took the lead, while the Lobos had shooting trouble and only scored two points in the final period.
The Lobos were forced to foul to stop the clock, but the Highlanders took advantage of the free throws, and the game ended Providence 35, Lopez 29. Three seniors, Andris Meissner, Benji Stephenson and Kayden Sarazin led the scoring, but 29 points was the Lobos’ lowest output of the season.
Coach Aaron Johnson was much happier with the defensive effort than the offense.
“We played an excellent defensive ballgame and our guys are getting better, but we have to shoot better,” he said.
He was especially complimentary about Nathan Kinney’s strong rebounding and aggressive defense; Jack Leyde’s assignment guarding their biggest player and keeping the ball out of his hands; Ian Cankusic’s constant motion, picking up loose balls, rebounds and efficient passing; and Irving Ponce’s quality minutes taking care of the ball and providing great zone defense.
“It was a well-fought game. The defense against Providence was tremendous,” Johnson said. “Holding a team to only 36 points is usually a recipe for victory. However, we just couldn’t put the ball in the hole or get to the foul line. We have to shoot better or get fouls called in our favor to win a game like this one. Our players have all gotten exponentially better, and as a result, the team is improving dramatically every game. That’s something to build on and we hope to do that in the upcoming games.”
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