Last season was a long one for the Auburn Mountainview Lions girls basketball team — a 10-9 record that was saved by a five-game win streak from Jan. 16-30 that guaranteed a season over .500.

This year, the Lions are sitting pretty with an 8-2 record, and currently sit in third place in the 3A NPSL.

Auburn Mountainview hit the road Jan. 14 and took on Thomas Jefferson High School, which is a game behind and one spot back of the Lions in the standings. The two sides played a tight game back on Dec. 6 with the Lions coming out with a 31-22 victory.

This time around, it was the same result for the Lions: a win, 43-32, on the back of a dominant defensive performance.

“We just tried to stay disciplined and get through tonight. We had them at home and it was the same kind of game. We knew what we were coming into. They play hard and play tough. We just had to do what we do and get out of here with a win,” Head Coach Alyse Lacey said.

Despite two ACL surgeries, senior Kaylahna Cruz focuses on outhustling her opponents. She led the Lions with 14 points in the win and went 6 for 6 from the free throw line.

“She’s a solid kid for us. She’s put in a lot of work to be here,” Lacey said.

Cruz injured her ACL in both her knees and has been on a long journey to get where she is today.

“I like to make my game show for what I have been through. I think my coaches and my team all know that it does,” Cruz said.

She combined with Kyra Thomas for 17 points in the second half (Cruz 10, Thomas 7).

To start the game, Thomas Jefferson HS was held off the scoreboard for the first 7:02 before an Avayah Tyler free throw got the Raiders on the board.

“We always say defense is what we want our identity to be. Anyone can pick up a ball and shoot, but defense is something you have to play as a team. Collectively, I think we are pretty proud of what we have done defensively tonight,” Cruz said.

Defense is something the Lions prioritize over everything else in Lacey’s second season at the helm for Auburn Mountainview.

“Defense is what we work on most and pride ourselves on. Bringing that in to every game and knowing what we can do, it’s our identity,” Lacey said.

On offense, the Lions struggled to find much consistency as the first quarter ended 9-4 and got to halftime leading 19-10.

This was a trap game for the Lions, but they came in winners of three out of their last four, and kept that momentum pushing.

“I think during this time, we see a lot of kids get tired. It’s a long season and hard to stay in the game, not only physically, but mentally as well. We are teaching our kids to take one game at a time and take it for what it is,” Lacey said.

In the fourth quarter with a 28-18 lead, Thomas turned the jets on and scored seven points — six of them on fast breaks. Her speed is something Lacey thinks can help the Lions in the long run.

“When she turns it on, she does what she does,” Lacey said.

It was a very physical game between the Lions and Raiders, an atmosphere that the Lions aren’t too unfamiliar with, with no Lions fouling out in a game that felt very aggressive by both teams on the defensive side of the floor.

“TJ is always pretty physical. To be able to play that way the whole time and pull through, we thrived in it,” Cruz said.

The Lions host Todd Beamer High School on Jan. 17 before taking the hour and a half trek to Adna High School to play the Pirates on Jan. 18.

Grace Meier takes aim at the basket against Thomas Jefferson.