Archives > Frisco Enterprise > Sports
Print
E-mail
Comment
Rate
RSS
Share
Lady Raccoons get defensive against Lake Dallas, await Lincoln showdown
BY ANDREW MAY, Staff Writer
With an arsenal of offensive artillery and an attacking style best suited for marathon runners, it seemed unlikely that a berth in the regional semifinals would hinge on the Frisco girls basketball team’s ability to get stops down the stretch.
Ensconced in a skintight Class 4A Region II quarterfinal game Tuesday against Lake Dallas, the Lady Raccoons bowed up on the defensive end and showed the Falcons there is no charm the third time around. By limiting the District 9-4A foe to just two baskets in the final eight minutes, Frisco snuck out of Carrollton Creekview High School with a 45-37 victory to extend its unbeaten streak to 13 games.
The Lady Raccoons prevailed in both district meetings by a combined 25 points, but held a slim three-point lead entering the final quarter Tuesday. An emphasis on rebounding and a successful stall was just enough to complete the trifecta.
Lake Dallas utilized an effective game plan that negated Frisco’s primary strength. The Lady Raccoons seldom were able to get out and run in transition to speed up the tempo. In addition to walking the ball up the floor and shaving 20-30 seconds off the clock on every offensive possession, the Falcons kept two defenders in the backcourt following a missed shot to thwart any potential easy baskets.
On average Frisco fires up 60 or more shots an outing, but managed only 44 on Tuesday. Unforced turnovers and a 39 percent connection rate from the field didn’t do much to aid the cause.
Senior post Kierra Mallard tallied a team-high 15 points and nine rebounds, while sophomore guard Tiffany Moore filled up the stat sheet with seven points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. Junior Dani Thomas added six points, six blocks and four rebounds to help Frisco go on a 9-2 run to finish the game.
A behemoth test now awaits the battle-tested Lady Raccoons. Lincoln, the 13-4A champion, has quite an impressive record of playoff experience over the past 15 years.
Aside from losing to Copperas Cove in bi-district last season - a team Frisco went on to beat in the regional semifinals - the Tigers have qualified for the regional tournament every year since 1994. That includes a stretch of two state titles, four other appearances in the state championship game, three berths in the state semifinals, and a pair of regional final showings.
“They’ve got a good team,” Rose said, “but so do we.”
The two schools faced one another last season in the DISD/Coca Cola Tournament, but far less was at stake. Benefitting Frisco is a venue that the team has fond memories of from 2007. The Lady Raccoons plowed through the regional tournament at the Garland Special Events Center en route to the state tournament a season ago.
“It’s nice to get back there,” Rose said. “It’s going to be a really good regional.”
Conventional wisdom would suggest the winner would be the odds-on favorite to get to state. But Rose isn’t convinced. He believes Waco Midway and West Mesquite - the two teams playing in the front-end of today’s double-header - are both fully capable of getting to Austin.
“I still think that whoever wins the region will come out with a lot of momentum,” Rose said.
If it is to be Frisco, it will first take some more team defense. The Tigers boast five players that average double figures, led by Kimetria Hayden. The 5-9 junior guard averages 17.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Backcourt mate Taylor Morrow is a dangerous shooter from the outside averaging just under 14 points a contest.
“They’ve got some good players,” Rose said. “We’ve got to be more focused than we were against Lake Dallas.”
Class 4A Region II semifinal
7:30 p.m. today at Garland Special Events Center
Frisco (36-3) vs. Lincoln (25-4)
Frisco 10 15 11 9 45
Lake Dallas 9 12 12 4 37
FRIS: Kierra Mallard 15, Shay Cooney-Williams 8, Jazmyn Reynolds-Dorsett 7, Tiffany Moore 7, Dani Thomas 6, Makenzie Simon 2.
LD: Rachelle Franklin 15, Brea Terrell 13, Joy Adeku 5, Hailey Broderick 4.
The following are comments from the readers.
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
In no way do they represent the view of Starlocalnews.com
You must register with a valid email to post comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Only your Member ID will be posted with the comments.
Registered users sign in here:
Become a Registered User
- Return to: Sports «
- Home «
- Top of Page ^
