GRANGER — The Granger Lady Lions varsity basketball team split its opening district games, earning a 48-36 victory over the Holland Hornets on Dec. 16 before falling 49-28 to the Bartlett Bulldogs on Dec. 19.
Granger got off to a slow start against Holland, as the Hornets jumped out to a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter. Senior Victoria Castillo helped spark the Lady Lions with a 3-pointer to make it 7-3, then followed with another shot from beyond the arc moments later to cut the deficit to 12-6.
Holland responded with a 7-0 run to extend its advantage to 19-6, but Granger continued to battle. The Lady Lions closed the gap to 23-20 in the second quarter after Castillo knocked down another 3-pointer.
Both teams traded baskets in the third quarter, with Granger tying the game at 29. Castillo once again delivered from long range, draining a three to give the Lady Lions their first lead at 32-29.
Castillo stayed hot in the fourth quarter, hitting her fifth 3-pointer of the game to push the lead to 41-35. She also made key contributions defensively with several timely blocks, helping Granger pull away late. The Lady Lions shot 29% from the field in the win.
Granger was unable to carry that momentum into its matchup with Bartlett, struggling to find an offensive rhythm. The Lady Lions finished with one of their lowest scoring outputs of the season, totaling just 28 points in the loss.
Granger enters the holiday break with an 8-12 overall record and a 1-1 mark in district play. The Lady Lions return to action Jan. 2 at Milano.
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