Go, team! Port Aransas High School cheerleaders lead a cheer during a Marlins game against Kenedy on Friday, Feb. 11. STAFF PHOTO BY DAN PARKER “We can’t win playoff games with … turnovers, and our kids know that,” is how coach Stephanie Cowen summed up the bi-district game against Ben Bolt on Tuesday, Feb. 15, at Calallen High School.

Despite the turnovers, however, the Lady Marlins held on to beat the Lady Badgers, 36-30, earning them a shot at the area playoff game the following Friday (see story).

Cowen said the Port Aransas girls stumbled mentally over Ben Bolt’s strategy of holding the ball, and when the Lady Marlins did go on the offensive they tried to hurry things too

much instead of staying with the more deliberate strategy that’s worked for them all season.

“To their credit, our kids were not willing to lose this one,” Cowen said. “We knew we didn’t play the way we wanted to, but we also found a way to win, and that is more important for us at this point in the season.”

Tarryn Murray led the Lady Marlins in scoring with 19 points. Savanna Nixon was runner-up with eight, Kalani Balcom had four, Chelsea Perez put in three and Kelsey Ortiz contributed two points.