ABILENE — Already considered an underdog against high-flying Comanche, the Merkel Lady Badgers were facing even longer odds in Friday’s 3A area round game with the Maidens. 

With four girls coming off a stomach illness, the Lady Badgers had neither the depth nor the stamina to cope with Comanche, which pressed and ran its way to a 71-43 win in the second game of an area round doubleheader at Hardin-Simmons University.

Jim Ned topped Eastland 65-33 in the first of the two games on Friday.  Comanche (31-3) will now meet Jim Ned (33-2) in the Region I-3A quarterfinals at a site and time to be determined. 

Sophomore J’Lee Salinas scored 28 points and junior Kinsey Glasgow added 21 more to lead Comanche, which claims its first area title in the 10-year tenure of coach Diana Salinas and the first overall in more than 15 years. 

Merkel (23-13) was led by Amirah Navarrette with 12 points; Alexandria Farmer and Camryn Stone added eight each.