The Plano East Panthers are the Class 6A State Champions after defeating Round Rock Stony Point 53-41. After opening the state tournament with a 61-45 victory over Lake Ridge, the guys earned their 40th victory of the season by winning the rematch with Stony Point to finish with an unblemished record. (Roosevelt Joubert/Murphy Monitor) 

It’s official. The Plano East Panthers put the finishing touches on a 40-0 season with their 53-41 win over Stony Point in the Alamodome. The PESH basketball team wrapped up the state tourney the same way they got there…in dominant, unblemished fashion. 

Coming into the event, they’d won each of their five playoff games by double-digit margins, and that did not change in San Antonio. After topping Lake Ridge 61-45 in the semifinals, the Panthers took on Stony Point in a rematch of their meeting Dec. 30, 2023 that saw Plano East jump to the top spot in the Class 6A rankings with a 55-50 victory.

In no coincidence, that was one of PESH’s most competitive matchups of the year, meaning they would certainly have to bring their “A” game with the state title on the line. However, that is what Plano East had done 39 times in a row, and on Saturday night, March 9, they made it 40. 

For the full story on the Panthers’ championship effort, see the March 14 print or digital edition of the Murphy Monitor and support local journalism in your community.