By Steven Thomson

Galveston County Daily News

Ball High’s patience on both ends of the floor paid off with a 60-44 win over Port Neches-Groves in Tuesday’s Class 5A, Region III bi-district game at Goose Creek Memorial.

The Lady Tors advance to play Alvin Shadow Creek in this weekend’s area round.

The willingness to wait for an opportunity actually began on Monday, as a traffic snarl on I-10 forced the postponement of the originally scheduled contest.

Once the delayed meeting finally go under way, PNG matched Ball High through a tight first half, which ended with the Lady Tors up by 27-25.

The two teams were tied at 32-32 midway through the third quarter when the Lady Tors finally forced the Indians to crack.

Ball High stepped up its defensive pressure, limiting PNG to one field in its next eight possessions. The Lady Indians were unable to do the same as the Lady Tors went on a 12-2 run to establish a 10-point lead with 6:50 left in the game.

“We’ve had a lot of experience this season being patient with the ball,” Ball High head coach Amanda King said. “One of our biggest approaches to the zone is to make sure we are making the best decisions we can and wait for things to develop. I was proud of the kids for showing that patience.”

While the threesome of Ariana Smith, Bebe Galloway and Lexie LaForte combined for all of Ball High’s 33 points in the second, the willingness to make the extra pass was what allowed the lead to increase.

Smith led the Lady Tors with 22 points, while LaForte and Galloway finished with 18 and 17, respectively.

PNG was able to find and connect on outside shot to remain close in the first two quarters. The Indians were not able to repeat that success in the second half as the Lady Tors began to mark more tightly.

“The kids took ownership of getting after it,” King said. “They made sure they were putting more pressure on defense. It definitely showed in the score.”

Ball High also controlled the boards in the second half, with PNG managing just two buckets on second chance shots.

Even with a secure lead, the Lady Tors were not willing to pick up the offensive pace. That denied the Indians any chance of gaining offensive momentum.

“Our kids are never afraid to pass the ball to a teammate,” King said. “We have a really disciplined group of young ladies. They’re happy to play as a team. We’re excited about our prospects going forward.”