It has been nine years since the Meadow Lady Broncos won a gold ball in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs, but they achieved that milestone on Monday night by defeating a tough Grady squad with a score of 33-27. Meadow entered the playoffs with an 18-10 record and added one more victory to their tally. Defense was the key to victory for the Lady Broncos, who ended the first quarter with a 14-10 lead. Alejandra Gonzalez was instrumental, scoring eight points, while Jillian Cavazos contributed four points and Joey Harrington added a bucket.
Although the Lady Broncos maintained their lead, Grady put up a strong fight in the second quarter. The Lady Cats made a significant defensive stand, allowing Meadow to score only two points, which came from Abi Gonzalez. Grady managed to score six points in the second quarter, tying the game at 16-all as they headed into halftime.
In the third quarter, the Lady Broncos’ defense stepped up, allowing only three points. Abi Gonzalez led the team in scoring with eight points, while Gabriela Vazquez and Harrington each added two points. This effort resulted in a 12-3 scoring advantage for the Lady Broncos, giving them a 28-19 lead by the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Lady Cats attempted to mount a comeback by limiting Meadow to just five points. Jillian Cavazos scored a crucial basket, and Alejandra Gonzalez went three for eight from the free-throw line. Although Grady managed to score eight points, most of those came late in the quarter. Meadow held off the late surge and secured the win with a final score of 33-27.
Alejandra Gonzalez led the Lady Broncos in scoring with 11 points, followed by Abi Gonzalez with 10.
| TEAMS | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | TOTAL |
| 14 | 2 | 12 | 5 | 33 | |
| 10 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 27 |
Next up for the Lady Broncos is a matchup against the Spur Spurettes. Both teams faced tough pre-district schedules, each encountering a top-25 team within their respective districts—Meadow faced #12 Whitharral while Spur faced #1 Valley. It is indeed a challenge to have the top-ranked team in your district, as well as a highly-ranked contender.
The Lady Broncos finished their district with a record of 6-4, while the Spurettes ended with a record of 8-2. Their overall records are quite similar, with Spur boasting a 21-12 record and Meadow at 19-11.
Both teams have played Patton Springs and O’Donnell this season. Meadow played Patton Springs twice early in the season and won both times, while they lost to O’Donnell 53-35 in December. Spur also faced Patton Springs twice in district play, winning both matches, and recently defeated O’Donnell 66-58 in their bi-district game on Monday night.
Currently, Spur is averaging around 51 points per game while allowing 37 points. In comparison, Meadow averages 44 points per game and allows 38 points. Meadow’s defense will need to perform exceptionally well on Friday night to create chaos for Spur when they have possession of the ball.