The Alba-Golden Lady Panthers fell to the Howe Lady Bulldogs, 51-37, ending a spectacular season of play. The Lady Panthers tallied a 25-10 record in 2019 and advanced to the area round of UIL competition.

Alba-Golden started slow in Friday’s action against Howe. The inability to get in synch and early foul trouble hindered the Lady Panthers. The Lady Bulldogs built a 25-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The statistics bore out that this was an off-night for the Alba-Golden squad. They shot just over 30 per cent from the field, and only 53 per cent from the line. Fifteen turnovers plagued the Lady Panthers in an uncharacteristic performance. Alba-Golden managed only three points in the second quarter and went into halftime trailing 32-16.

The squad fought back hard in the second half and closed the margin to eight points in the final period but could not overcome the deficit. The Lady Bulldogs took advantage of 38 trips to the free throw line to record the win.

Coach Blake Hamrick offered this assessment of his team: “Overall it was a good season, and I’m proud of the girls. They’ve played hard and it has been a pleasure for me to coach them.”