If Conroe’s New Year’s resolution was to make it to the postseason in 2025, then the Tigers took a step in the right direction to close out the first round of District 13-6A Saturday afternoon at home.
The Tigers put up a ferocious effort on defense while overcoming some shooting woes offensively in a 42-25 win over visiting Caney Creek.
Conroe (11-8, 4-4) won consecutive district games for the first time all season and consecutive games since a couple non-district games in the Lady Tigers Booster Hoops almost a month ago.
“It’s a huge deal for us,” Conroe senior point guard Alisa Sneed, who led the Tigers with nine points, said. “We just need the momentum to just win over and over and over.”
The Tigers forced over 30 turnovers against Caney Creek (5-15, 2-8).
Both teams came in off wins on Dec. 20, but hadn’t played in over two weeks as no games were scheduled during Christmas break.
Conroe looked rested on Day 15 since its last game. The Tigers beat Willis by 12 in their last appearance.
“It calmed our nerves,” Sneed said of the break. “We need rest. But it was kind of hard for us. It’s Christmas break. You’re going to eat. Just getting back in shape is what we need to do. We had about eight days off. It’s not too long, but it’s long enough.”
Conroe held firm defensively through the first 10 minutes of the contest as it took an 11-1 lead after the first quarter, and didn’t allow a bucket until Kora Vrionis hit a baseline drive at the 6:05 mark of the second quarter for the Panthers’ first field goal.
The Tigers had six players contribute offensively in the first half, including a pair of buzzer-beaters.
Freshman Kayleigh Phillips had a putback to end the first quarter and Sneed hit a running 3-pointer before the halftime buzzer sounded.
“I saw the clock and I thought maybe I’ll be able to make a layup,” Sneed said. “But then I was like ‘I’m going to shoot it right now.’ I think I made one my freshman or sophomore year. But it was a long time ago.”
Sneed’s 3 halted a late second quarter 8-0 run by Caney Creek, which featured consecutive 3-pointers from the right wing by Mackenzie Harrah and Cayle McGee.
Conroe junior Taylor Smith, making the start, had seven points at halftime as Conroe led 22-12.
Sneed’s buzzer-beater made for in-the-moment good vibes, the locker room tone at the break was serious with the 10-point lead.
“It was a good mood right then and there,” she said.
After a scoring book error with Conroe’s roster and uniform numbers, Caney Creek started the second half with technical foul shots in which McGee made both.
Harrah followed with a 3-pointer and a baseline jumper while McGee made a successful drive to the hoop for a 9-0 run and suddenly it was a one-point game at 22-21.
Luckily for cold-shooting Conroe, which went 2-for-16 in the third quarter, that’s the closest Caney Creek got. Damiri Anderson and Sneed provided a five-point lead after three quarters with buckets made.
Conroe then went on an 8-2 run to start the fourth as freshman Christy Rogers and Phillips each made putbacks while junior Riley Gross and sophomore Lisa Jacques added field goals.
The Tigers held Caney Creek to four points and one field goal over the final 12 minutes.
“When we went to full-court man-to-man, sometimes that takes the thought process out of it,” Conroe coach Tamisha Houston said when asked about the defensive effort. “I’m just going to lock this girl down and I’m going to make sure that my girl doesn’t get anything. I’m going to put extra pressure on her and make sure to do my part. It helped us to get some steals and buckets on the open floor. That swung the momentum for us.”
Smith finished with seven points while six different Tigers had four points as the program is 5-0 against Caney Creek since 2022.
“It will be good to continue to have the balanced scoring,” Houston said. “It would be amazing if we could make more of those shots. I think we were 18-for-49 from 2. If some of those shots fall, it just alleviates some of the pressure and just relax and go play.”
A deep bench will be crucial down the stretch.
“I’m glad we have more people to see shots go in and their confidence can rise,” Houston said.
Harrah had eight points to lead Caney Creek while McGee added seven. The Panthers host Oak Ridge on Wednesday.
Speaking of down the stretch, the Tigers will begin their path at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at The Woodlands as the second round of district play begins.
“We’re talking about going 1-0 every game,” Houston said. “In the locker room, I have everybody’s record up and at the bottom, I have what it will take to get an opportunity to make it to the postseason. Us being able to win four and see the four that we lost that we were right there, it gives the girls a sense of we had the ball bounce in the other direction a few times.”
The Tigers will battle it in hopes of a seventh straight playoff appearance over the next month.
“Protect the home floor,” Houston said. “Steal some on the road.”
Conroe senior Alisa Sneed (3) drives to the hoop against Caney Creek on Jan. 4, 2025. (Chris Zorzi/SportCast Media)
