The Plano East girls’ basketball team celebrates their 49-45 win over North Crowley in the Class 6A Division I Region I final from W.G. Thomas Coliseum in Haltom City. The Lady Panthers have qualified for the state semifinals for the first time in program history. Photo by Tina Lopez / C&S Media
By David Wolman
song when she goes to the free-throw line. It’s her way of blocking out all of the noise and to concentrate on the task at hand.
So, when she stepped up to the charity stripe with 11.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of last Friday’s Region I-6A Division I final, and Plano East clinging to a two-point lead over North Crowley, she sung a gospel song.
Borders calmly sank both shots, and then after North Crowley junior Mecca Crawford missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer, Borders and Plano East freshman Arianna Robinson jumped in the air and then ran towards the team bench to celebrate a historic 49-45 victory for Plano East from W.G. Thomas Coliseum.
For the first time in program history, the Lady Panthers have advanced to the state semifinals.
Plano East will play Cedar Hill at a time and location yet to be determined. Cedar Hill topped defending 6A state champion and District 11-6A rival Duncanville, 57-47, in the Region II-6A Div. I final, also last Friday.
“It means the world to me,” Borders said. “I’ve been dreaming about this since I was little, and it’s really like a dream come true. We just have to keep going and make history.”
And for as many big plays as Borders made late in the ballgame, Robinson was driving circles around North Crowley’s defense.
Fresh off a 19-point performance in a regional semifinal win against Keller Timber Creek, Robinson used her speed and athleticism to pour in a game-high 28 points against North Crowley.
Robinson remained aggressive in her approach even when she picked up her third personal foul in the second quarter and her fourth early in the fourth quarter.
“I just kind of played care-free,” she said. “I knew that I had four fouls, and the worse that could happen is that I foul out. I knew that I have good teammates. If I were to foul out that I was still going to go to the bench and cheer my teammates on. I didn’t agree with a lot of the foul calls, but I just played through it.”
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