The Plano East girls basketball team reacts as the Lady Panthers are presented with a gold ball following their 48-44 win over South Grand Prairie in the area round of the Region I-6A Division I playoffs on Thursday from Coppell High School. Photo by Oladipo Awowale / C&S Media
By David Wolman
The Plano East girls’ basketball team stunned Class 6A’s No. 7 South Grand Prairie 48-44 in the area round of the Region I-6A Division I playoffs Thursday from Coppell High School.
Plano East advances to the regional semifinals and will face the winner of Friday’s game between Keller Timber Creek and El Paso Franklin.
South Grand Prairie took a 33-30 lead into the fourth quarter after Spirit Sheriff made three free throws after she was fouled on a 3-point attempt in the dying seconds of the third quarter.
The Lady Panthers battled back to take a 36-35 lead on a floater by freshman Arianna Robinson, who later added an “and-one” for a 43-30 Plano East lead with 1:21 left in regulation.
Robinson had the hot hand for the Lady Panthers down the stretch, scoring eight of her team-high 17 points in the ballgame’s final eight minutes. She was complimented from stellar play by her running mate, sophomore Kennedy Borders, who scored 14 to send Plano East into the third round of the playoffs.
Borders made the first of two free throws with 4.5 seconds remaining for a 47-44 lead.
South Grand Prairie couldn’t get the rebound after Borders missed the second free throw, and UT-San Antonio signee Sema Udo was fouled and made one of two free throws with 3.2 seconds left to seal the victory.
South Grand Prairie hadn’t lost since Dec. 7, and it had won by an average of 32.8 points during that 20-game winning streak.
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