(Geronimo) – After closing calendar year 2021 with a 56-47 loss to New Braunfels that ended an 18-game winning-streak last week, the Navarro girls basketball team returned to its dominant ways in the first game of 2022 with a 62-34 rout of Hondo on Monday at the Navarro Events Center.
The Panthers used a 20-0 run bracketing the first and second quarters to make the game lopsided and took 34-9 cushion into halftime. Navarro won the third quarter 16-7 and the fourth 12-11 to notch the final 28-point margin.
Laylin Sturm led all scorers with 14 points, Tatum Harborth added 10, and both players were catalysts in a full-court defensive effort and transition attack that overwhelmed the visiting Owls.
Navarro head coach Darrell Harborth comes away from the win with both compliments and teaching points.
“I feel like we could have played better, but we had our times and got us a big lead there, and late in the first quarter, early in the second quarter we really got our pressure going there and got a lot of steals, which opened up our lead there for us, and that’s how we like to play,” Harborth said.
Berklee Andrews added nine points for the Panthers. Ryanne Hepp and and Taylor Helms contributed eight apiece. Tegan Harborth added seven, and Sienna Kramer netted six.
Harborth called the performance a good bounce-back from the loss to New Braunfels, which should benefit his team in the weeks ahead against district competition.
“That was a good game for us,” Harborth said. “They’re a quality opponent. We just kind of had our bad spot in the third quarter and let them get a big lead on us. We tried to come back late there, but it will pay off for us down the road playing a quality team like that.
Navarro takes a 23-4 record into District 27-4A play, which begins this Friday with a 6:30 p.m. home game against La Vernia.
The Panthers were ranked No. 9 in the most recent TGCA state poll for Class-4A and No. 13 by the TABC.
La Vernia, who beat Navarro in a tournament game 46-34 back on Nov. 19, is 20-5 and held the TGCA’s No. 12 ranking in the most recent poll.
Harborth pointed to a number of missed layups and short-range shots against Hondo as focal points for improvement between now and Friday on the practice floor.
“Two days off, no practice, and coming in on a Monday here playing, there’s a lot of things to look at there, but overall, pleased with what we got done,” Harborth said. “We need to be more serious, more focused, and start to concentrate on things that La Vernia does, and be ready for a battle Friday night.”