Coppell beats Southlake Carroll in 6A Texas girls basketball playoffs, advances to first regional finals
FORT WORTH, Texas — The best season in more than 30 years will continue at least for one more day for Coppell.
The Cowgirls dominated early and then held off a late charge from Southlake Carroll to pick up a 51-41 victory in a Class 6A Region 1 semifinal game on Friday night on Robert Hughes Court.
This is the first semifinal berth for Coppell since 1990 and now it will have a chance to punch a first-ever trip to the UIL State Tournament on Saturday with the finals slated at 1 p.m. against the winner of Keller/Little Elm.
The No. 11-ranked team in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches poll made only four field goals in the second half, using a big first half and enough free throws late to move on.
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“I’m really happy and proud of my team that we’re going to the regional finals and I think we’re all excited for it,” said Coppell standout Jules LaMendola, who had 13 points. “We worked really hard for this and we are now preparing for whoever we play next.”
The Cowgirls (37-3) dominated early and held a double-digit lead throughout most of the second quarter. LaMendola, who signed with Indiana, drew a lot of attention on the offensive end but the Cowgirls got timely baskets in the first half from Ella Spiller, who scored all 12 of her points in the first half – six in each of the first two frames. Alyssa Potter knocked down a 3-pointer in each quarter and helped build a 25-11 lead midway through the second.
The Dragons, No. 8 in the state, rallied behind Army signee Camryn Tade, who scored half of her team’s 14 points in the second quarter.
Carroll (31-4) pulled within 30-23 late but a bucket by LaMendola with three seconds left gave the Cowgirls a 32-23 lead at the break.
Coppell extended the lead to 10 after the third quarter, 39-29, though Milania Jordan scored with a second left for Carroll.
In the round of 16 for the third year in a row, the Dragons showed their veteran presence in the fourth quarter.
Jordan hit a 3-pointer to open the scoring, part of a 10-2 run. Tade followed with a basket and then two free throws and Jordan’s 3-pointer with 2:31 made it 41-39.
The Dragons didn’t score again until the game’s final seconds.
“There were some momentum that went against us and we dropped our energy after that happened,” Coppell coach Ryan Murphy said. “It kind of allowed them to crawl back and then we had a fight on our hands.”
The Cowgirls had only one basket in the final 2 ½ minutes but relied on a steady showing from the free-throw line.
Macey Mercer, LaMendola and Waverly Hussman were a combined 7-of-8 during that final stretch. The Cowgirls also got a big stop on defense when London Harper drew a charge with 1:30 left. Seconds later, Mercer drew a foul and knocked down both to push the lead to six.
“They are a great offensive team and they got good athletes,” LaMendola said. “We had to buckle down and do what we do best, which is defense. We boxed out, we got rebounds and we executed. It was hard, but nothing our team couldn’t handle.”
Potter and LaMendola led the Cowgirls with 13 points each, while Spiller had 12.
Coppell (37-3) advances to the regional finals for the first time in program history, where the Cowgirls will face the winner of Little Elm (31-5) 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center in Fort Worth.
Check out SBLive's exclusive photo gallery from the game:
PHOTO GALLERY — COPPELL 51, SOUTHLAKE CARROLL 41
All photos by Robbie Rakestraw
