Memorial High looking to heat up performance for district play’s second half

Published 12:16 am Wednesday, January 17, 2024

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The Memorial girls basketball team is in the hunt for the playoffs as the team enters the second half of district play.

The Titans entered the week with a record of 19-12 (4-3 in district). The girls’ Tuesday game against Baytown Lee was rescheduled to Wednesday (today) due to freezing temperatures that caused schools to close Tuesday.

Friday, Memorial will play Goose Creek Memorial in Port Arthur. While temps dipped back below freezing Tuesday night, forecasts predict a less frigid experience for game time today.

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“It has been a little bit of a roller coaster,” Head Coach Kevin Henry said. “We have had some highs and lows. We are in the middle of the pack. We are in fourth place with losses to Barbers Hill, Goose Creek Memorial and Crosby. I really feel we were capable of winning all of those games. If we can put full games together, I think we can make a nice little run in the second half of district.”

Henry said the team has gelled well over the course of the season but added he would still like to see the players improve on offense, with consistency being his main emphasis.

The coach said he aims for his team to reach 15 points per quarter.

“We need to improve on free throws,” he said. “We have to execute better. We haven’t had a complete game on offense. We have quarters and then we hit a dry spell. If we can be consistent, we can make a run. We want to get 15 a quarter but sometimes struggle to get six.”

Since the season started, Henry said the team’s defense has held strong.

“We tend to sputter on offense, but we have done well on the defensive side,” he said.

Sophomore guard Kn’Omie Washington has come along for the Titans, Henry said.

“She has really started to hit some outside shots for us,” he said. “That has really helped us stretch the defense. We are led by seniors Johnae Biggs and Jernye McZeal. Sophomore Jazzlynn Washington has also contributed, along with Ja’myah Crout and Ja’Miah McCray.

The Titans sit as the fourth seed in the district as of this week and will have to maintain that position or better to make it to the playoffs.

Barbers Hill, Goose Creek Memorial and Crosby sit ahead of Memorial, with the Titans getting a shot at two of them his week.