The Lady Wildcats, bi-district and area champions, suffered a loss against Skyline in the deciding regional qualifiers game with a final score of 41-43. After winning against Lake Highlands 57-34 and Sachse 53-40 in the playoffs, Plano had advanced to the UIL Regional Quarterfinals, but ultimately came up short and ended their 2013-2014 run with an overall record of 26-7.
Skyline began the game with intensely aggressive defense, keeping the Wildcats on their toes. The opening minutes were full of failed jump shots, thanks to Skyline’s incredible blocking abilities. Their offense also stood as quite the challenge, with sly backdoor cuts that Plano consistently struggled to keep up with. The Wildcats trailed at the end of the first quarter at 6-13, highlighting both teams’ strong defensive skills. The second quarter brought an abundance of fouls from Skyline thanks to sneaky steals and fast breaks from junior Kara Mitchell. Luckily, Plano came in clutch with free throws, slowly closing the gap in the score. Necessary rebounds from senior Courtney Loveland and a late floater by senior Haley Shearer soon inched Plano up on the scoreboard, ending the first half at 22-26.
The third quarter began with a bang with a jump shot from Mitchell, leaving Plano behind by only two points. The Wildcats’ offensive presence had become much more apparent, firing up the crowd and players. Senior Ogo Obinabo stepped up in the paint, giving Plano more opportunities to break away and throw more points on the board. With an assist from Sophomore Lexi Rodriguez, Shearer scored a last second shot that allowed Plano to finally lead, 32-31. The fourth quarter started off much slower, both teams remaining scoreless until halfway through it. The score constantly fluctuated with the lead switching back and forth between both teams. The game ultimately came down to fouls and free throws, both teams taking frequent trips to the line. In the end, Skyline pulled through with a two-point win, taking Plano’s chance at advancing any further in the playoffs.