Late surge powers Wichita Falls Hirschi past Abilene Cooper girls in basketball

Traysha Newsome poured in a game-high 20 points to lead Wichita Falls Hirschi past Cooper 49-42 in a nondistrict girls basketball game Tuesday in Wichita Falls.

Newsome scored 16 points in the second half, including 11 in the final quarter, to spark the Lady Huskies. She hit 7 of 8 free throws in the fourth quarter.

Keiana Kemp led Cooper (0-2) with 14 points, and Ashlyn French had 11.

Cooper took a seven-point lead into the final quarter (34-27), but the Lady Huskies outscored the Lady Cougars 22-8 in the final frame.

“We’re trying to get there,” said Arsenio Geter, Cooper’s first-year coach. “We had a seven-point lead going into the fourth quarter. We just couldn’t hold on.”

Much of the Lady Coogs’ team just finished playing volleyball a week ago, so it’s still in a work in progress even by early season standards. Still, Cooper has been close in both games so far -- losing at Lubbock High 48-44 in the opener Friday.

“We’re building chemistry every second we’re together,” Geter said. “This team last year got us by 14 points. So, being ahead going into the fourth quarter is definitely signs of progress.”

Cooper plays Snyder at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in a nondistrict game at Cougar Gym.

Hirschi 49, Abilene Cooper 42

Cooper (0-1) - Garcia 2, Spights 3, Simmons 3, French 11, Larkins 2, Telay 2, Keiana Kemp 14, Willis 3, Ka. Kemp 2.

Hirschi (1-0) - Hansboro 3, Peterson 2, Traysha Newsome 20, Hightower 8, Carter 6, Chloe Percy 10.

Free throws - (C) 15-25; (H) 9-19.

3-pointers - (C) Kaleigha Kemp.