Lady Lions win district opener

In this game, Kaufman raced out to an 11-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. At halftime, Kaufman was in front by a count of 21-6. Through three quarters of action, the Lady Lions had a sizable 39-10 lead. In the fourth quarter, Kaufman cruised home for the victory.

The main contributors in this game for Kaufman were as follows:

Lillie Reven: 15 points (nine of her points came on three 3-point shots), two rebounds, and one steal.

Aubre Prox: 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

Piper Wilburn: nine points, two assists, and one steal.

Kaylee Wrenn: four points and two steals.

Kiersten Thomas: two points, three rebounds, two blocked shots, and one steal.

Jordyn Prox: two points and three steals.

Alizay Gonzalez: two points, three rebounds, and one steal.

Keira Drake: two points, two assists, and one steal.

Zoey Prox: two points and three rebounds.

At this game, the Kaufman Lady Lions basketball team honored the memory of Joni McKinney Burrell. She was a member of Kaufman’s 1992 State Final Four basketball team. This year’s team is playing under the motto of “Play Like 12.” Note: 12 was McKinney’s number when she played for the Kaufman Lady Lions basketball team. Mrs. McKinney Burrell was the aunt of current Kaufman Lady Lions senior basketball player Piper Wilburn. McKinney Burrell passed away after a 10-year battle with cancer on Oct. 1, 2022.

According to those who knew her well, Mrs. McKinney-Burrell was a true fighter.

“Her teammates and former Kaufman High School basketball coach Mark Harris have all said what a great teammate she was and how hard she worked on the court,” current Kaufman High School basketball coach Amy Ingram said. “They also said she was a great leader. That is why our season is dedicated to “Play Like 12” Her jersey will hang in our locker room as a constant reminder to fight hard every day. It was our honor to honor the life of Joni McKinney-Burrell.”

After the game, Coach Ingram expressed how proud she is of her current team’s togetherness.

“Our girls are playing great team ball right now,” Coach Ingram said. “The great thing about our team is that anyone could be our leading scorer on any given night. This team supports and fights for one another, and there is not a greater feeling as a coach to see a team come together like that. Everyone contributes in all aspects of the game. We are young with seven of our 10 players being freshmen or sophomores. Our three upper classmen—Wilburn, Lillian Gibbons, and Reven have done a great job of supporting our younger players and getting them ready.”

“I am so blessed to be here at Kaufman,” Coach Ingram said. “We are in year three, and we are only getting better each game. I am proud of our kids, the culture we are building here, and how hard our kids fight to represent Kaufman.”