By Bobby Allen

SDN Sports Editor

Another challenge met and another trophy raised.

With an explosive offensive quarter to start the night, the Snyder Lady Tigers claimed the area championship Friday, topping Perryton 69-47 for their 26th win in a row.

It was also the first ever playoff victory for the girls basketball program.

“It’s awesome -- it’s such an honor,” senior Erin Burleson said of winning the first playoff win. “My sister played and there are a lot of girls here who played for Snyder. It’s a privilege to be a part of this.”

Burleson drilled six shots from behind the three-point line for a game-high 22 and Teddi Crenwelge scored 10 of her 15 points in the first seven minutes of the game to set the tempo for the Lady Tigers and set up a showdown with defending state champion Canyon in the regional quarterfinals.

Snyder hit eight from behind the arc in all, shooting at a high percentage and forcing Perryton out of their zone early on.

“We shot well the whole game,” head coach Mike Martin said. “They are a zone team, but we forced them to come out of it.”

The Lady Tigers got things kicked off with style.

After Perryton won the tip, Burleson converted a Terann Ragland steal into a three-pointer, then followed up another Ragland steal and assist to put Snyder on top, 5-0, in a game in which the Lady Tigers would never trail.

After Crenwelge made it 12-3 with a baseline jumper, Perryton reeled off a 6-0 run and it looked as if the game would be tightly-contested.

But Snyder responded with a 7-0 run of its own to push the lead to 10.

“We were ready to play,” Crenwelge, who hit a three at the third quarter buzzer to give Snyder an 18 point lead, said. “In the second (quarter) they played hard on defense, but they backed off in the third.”

Sirena Medrano scored eight of Snyder’s 16 points in the second period, to help the team extend its lead to 12 by halftime. She finished with 14 points and five rebounds.

Rangerette post player Ashley Dyer made her presence felt in the second quarter, cashing in for six points and pulling down tough boards. She tallied team-high 16 points for Perryton.

“They did a good job moving us around in the second quarter,” Martin said. “We came out in the third and did a better job of containing her. Ragland did a good job of handling the press and distributing the basketball.”

The Lady Tigers also were more economical with their shots in the second half, taking charge by enforcing their pace upon Perryton.

Ragland and Medrano were both dervishes in defense, pestering their opponent and forcing Perryton into difficult and then desperate shots over the final eight minutes.

The crowd erupted at the final gun, concluding an evening of intense support that drowned out the Perryton crowd on the other side of the gym.

“The crowd was awesome,” Ragland said. “It was a fun environment.”

Burleson, who has gone through the rebuilding process with Martin since her sophomore year, said the victory was tremendous, not just for this team, but for the program.

“This was so important,” she said. “I’m not used to winning like this. It was very exciting.”

The girls were delighted by their performance, but insisted the euphoria would be replaced by renewed focus at Saturday’s practice as the team gears up for the defending state champions at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview.

“We’ll enjoy it for the rest of the evening,” Crenwelge said.