Plano East freshman Arianna Robinson is congratulated by junior Hailey Reed after she made a layup during the fourth quarter of a recent home game against Plano. Photo by Maddie Smith / C&S Media
By David Wolman
Three days after seeing a late rally fall short in a 44-41 loss to Plano, the Plano East girls’ basketball team made amends last Friday.
Freshman Arianna Robinson scored 31 points with eight steals and six rebounds in a playoff-clinching 53-28 rout of McKinney.
For the first 30 minutes of their Tuesday, Jan. 28, home game against Plano, Plano East was trying to find a spark.
The Lady Wildcats made six 3-pointers in the first half and forced the Lady Panthers into missing a slew of shot attempts.
Desperation finally kicked in for Plano East with less than two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, and it nearly amounted into a miraculous rally for the Lady Panthers.
Robinson finished off a Plano turnover that was forced by sophomore Kennedy Borders with a left-handed layup to reduce what had been a 10-point deficit for Plano East to one with 16.7 seconds left. Robinson was fouled on the play but missed a potential game-tying free throw. After Plano made two free throws moments later, Plano East had one more chance to extend the game. However, a potential game-tying 3-pointer by Borders at the buzzer bounced off the right side of the backboard, and the Lady Wildcats held on for a 44-41 win.
“I told the girls it was all about energy,” said Derrick Richardson, Plano East head coach. “Plano plays really hard. That’s a credit to their coaching staff. We just didn’t match their energy.”
Robinson finished with 20 points. Borders chipped in 11 points.
Plano East put up just 15 points through the game’s first 16 minutes. The Lady Panthers have been trying to piece things together on the offensive end since they lost senior forward Sema Udo to an ankle injury in the first quarter of the team’s previous game against Prosper Rock Hill. Plano East lost 49-43 to Rock Hill. Udo was seen in a walking boot during the team’s game against Plano. Richardson doesn’t have a prognosis in regard to the extent of Udo’s injury and when she can possibly return to the lineup.
“Having Sema out is huge for us,” Richardson said. “She makes a difference inside, particularly in a game like that where we can get the ball to her and attack that zone.”
Panther boys back in postseason
The Plano East boys’ basketball team came into this season having to replace four starters and 11 seniors from last year’s team that went 40-0 and won the Class 6A state championship.
Despite all of the holes that the Panthers had to replace in their lineup, it has been a rather seamless transition. And Plano East’s task of having to retool its lineup paid off with a big reward last week. The Panthers defeated crosstown rival Plano 66-44 on Tuesday, Jan. 28, as Plano East clinched a playoff berth for a third consecutive season.
The dominant run continues for the state-ranked Panthers, who improved their overall record to 93-10 and their district record to 36-4 over the last three seasons. Plano East (22-4, 10-2) came into last week ranked No. 15 in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Class 6A state poll.
“I’m proud of them,” said Matt Wester, Plano East head coach. “They’ve worked pretty hard to get it.”
Senior DJ Hall netted 24 points in the win over Plano.
Junior Jayden Parker made a triumphant return to the lineup for Plano East after he missed the last month with a stress fracture. He didn’t miss a beat in his return. Parker threw a lob pass to Hall in the fourth quarter that Hall got into the basket with one hand. He then found his range in the fourth quarter, making back-to-back 3-pointers, the second of which gave the Panthers a commanding 63-44 lead. He finished with seven points.
“We kind of got used to playing without him,” Wester said. “We were actually playing well without him, but we’re clearly better with him. He seems to not have missed much of a step.”
Last Friday, Plano East cruised past McKinney, 63-45.
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