Up and over STAFF PHOTO BY DAN PARKER Port Aransas High School Lady Marlins guard Savanna Nixon takes aim at the basket while leaping past a Woodsboro defender during a PAHS homecoming game Jan. 31. The Port Aransas High School

Lady Marlins clenched a playoff spot with a victory over the Woodsboro High School Lady Eagles on Friday, Jan. 31.

The Lady Marlins won on PAHS homecoming night, 47-32. The night was especially sweet for Lady Marlins forward Hannah Jones, a senior who was crowned homecoming queen at halftime of the varsity boys' game.

The island girls jumped out to an early lead with a three-pointer sunk by forward Katelin Dupnik, who went down moments later with a knee injury and remained on the bench for the rest of the game.

"She does so many good things for us, and with her out for the game, we needed other people to step up on both ends of the floor," said Stephanie Foerster, coach of the Lady Marlins.

"The early injury could have rattled us," Foerster said. "But the girls responded so well. We have faced so much adversity this year, and we continue to have different girls step up and pull us through."

Spectator sport STAFF PHOTO BY DAN PARKER Emily Scott of the Lady Marlins does battle with a Woodsboro opponent as the homecoming crowd looks on in Doyle Marek Gym at Port Aransas High School on Friday, Jan. 31. Coming through on the offensive end were Tarryn Murray, a sophomore who scored 14 points in the game and Jones, who scored 12.

"Many of those points can also be attributed to Meredith Berry, who had nine assists in the game," Foerster said.

The Lady Marlins led at halftime, 26 to 9. Woodsboro mounted a comeback attempt in the second half, outscoring Port Aransas 12-9 in the third quarter and getting keeping things competitive, 11-12, in the fourth quarter, but it wasn't enough to outshine the Lady Marlins.

Besides Murray and Jones, Lady Marlin scorers were Savanna Nixon, with 5 points; Chelsea Perez, with 4; Berry, 4; Dupnik, 3; Emily Scott, 3; and Kelsey Ortiz, 2.

At press time, the Lady Marlins' 4- 2 district record guaranteed the team second or third place in district. The girls were scheduled to play for the bi-district championship Feb. 16 or 17, but the opponent, date and location had not been set.

Hustle STAFF PHOTO BY DAN PARKER PAHS Lady Marlins player Tarryn Murray hustles the ball past a Woodsboro player on homecoming night.