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Lasting legacy: Lady Wildcats accomplished their goal, plenty more in 2012-13

BY Kevin Hageland, khageland@starlocalnews.com

Published: Friday, March 8, 2013 5:06 PM CST

Plano Senior girls basketball had a lofty goal prior to the start of 2012-13.

"These girls came in as freshman and wanted to leave a legacy," said Lynn Meger, Plano head coach. "They wanted to show everyone what Plano basketball is all about."

Consider that goal accomplished.

The Lady Wildcats (26-8) tied for the 10-5A title with Plano West, their first district championship in 10 years, and followed up by advancing to the regional quarterfinals for the first time in a decade.

"This was right up there with the most enjoyable seasons I've ever had at Plano," Meger said. "I couldn't have asked for much more to make this a successful season."

This year's run may have seemed unlikely for a team that barely made the playoffs last season, but the Lady Wildcats were believers.

"We had a nice run during the second half of district last season and then did pretty well against Southlake Carroll (a 56-52 bi-district loss), so I think that made the girls hungry," Meger said. "And then they competed well in some of the pre-season shootouts and I think the girls saw what this team was truly capable of."

Scouts saw what some of the girls were capable of too as seniors Grace Mitchell (University of Missouri-Kansas City) and Wilma Afunugo (Seattle) committed before the season started.

"I think that relieved a lot of pressure for those two girls," Meger said, "and allowed the team to be the focus."

Getting the team to bond wasn't difficult as all seven of Plano's seniors had been together for some time. Mitchell and Lucy Gentry played basketball at the same middle school while Afunugo, Haley Wray, Jenna Williams, Binna Kim and Sarah Edwards were together since elementary school.

"That's rare right there," Meger said. "And I think that continuity made the season even more fun."

With solid team chemistry, Plano got out to a quick start.

But it was another game with Carroll that set the stage for what became a strong season.

"We were struggling a bit and lost to some teams like Krum, who we didn't know at the time were really good, and starting doubting ourselves a bit," Meger said. "The turnaround for us really was that Southlake loss."

Carroll nearly ran Plano out of the gym in the first half, establishing a 39-16 lead.

The Lady Wildcats made a massive comeback in the fourth quarter before falling short, 56-51.

"We almost won," Meger said. "And that was a big boost for the girls."

Though nothing like the boost that came Jan. 15 when Plano defeated West, then ranked No. 3 in the state, 72-62.

"The best thing about that game was it showed other people just how good these girls were," Meger said. "And in the long run it helped us look at every game like a playoff game because we did not want to lose that district title."

The Lady Wildcats lost the rematch with the Lady Wolves, but still had plenty of momentum heading into the postseason as co-district champs. Plano followed up with its first playoff win in five years as it defeated Richardson Berkner, 93-62. The good times continued from there as the Lady Wildcats advanced to the regional quarterfinals for the first time since 2002-03 with a 60-41 win over Rowlett.

Those wins were important not only because they kept the season going, but because they set a standard for next year's team, which will be woefully short on experience.

"We'll be the underdogs, but I'm excited for next year," Meger said. "These seniors left a lot of leadership and I want to see just how much our underclassmen learned."

Among the returners will be starting junior Haley Shearer, sophomore Kara Mitchell (Plano's sixth man in 2012-13), juniors Ogo Obinabo, Kylee Guthrie and freshman Yasmine Samadzada. Though not all five saw an abundance of playing time this season, each was on the roster for the team's season-ending 50-32 loss to Skyline.

That defeat prevented the Lady Wildcats from going to the regional tournament, but didn't damper the season.

"These girls showed that the group is stronger than the individual and really went out with a bang," Meger said. "And that's why this year, for me, really epitomizes what high school athletics are all about. You had a community of kids growing up together, coming through the system together and accomplishing a goal together."

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