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Adjusted expectations: Lady Bobcats just miss repeat trip to Austin
BY Chris O’Dell, codell@starlocalnews.com
When the Celina girls basketball team made school history by booking a trip to the 2011-12 Class 3A State Finals, added expectations were placed on the program.
The Lady Bobcats may not have duplicated that success this season after graduating seniors like Kynzie Newman and Presley Stastny, but the team clinched another berth in the regional tournament despite a roster without any seniors.
“Coming into the season, we knew it would be interesting not having any seniors,” said Jordan Davis, Celina head coach, “but I think we got off to a good start.”
“[Cantu and Stastny] were our two captains,” Davis said. “They were two that had been there before and were crucial to our success [in 2011-12].”
The team’s non-district slate included multiple games against bigger schools, including Class 5A Plano Senior and Class 4A McKinney North. Davis said the tough schedule made things easier for the Lady Bobcats during their postseason run.
“We’re going to beef up our schedule again next year,” she said. “Wins and losses won’t be a big deal.”
Coupled with the non-district schedule was an initial run through a tougher District 10-3A that featured the likes of Frisco Lone Star and Argyle.
“I think having a tougher district is something that helped us out a lot,” Davis said. “It makes you stay intense and prepare for the playoffs. You always want to have competitive matches.”
The Lady Bobcats navigated through their district counterparts with a 5-3 mark after a pair of losses to Lone Star and one to Argyle in the regular season finale. The three losses put Celina into the playoffs as a No. 3 seed.
“We wanted to give ourselves a shot at winning district again,” Davis said. “Obviously that didn’t happen, but we also wanted to make it back to the regional tournament and we accomplished that.”
Things were made easier for Celina with the emergence of several underclassmen. Sophomore point guard Alex Jones and sophomore forward Kynese Davis helped give the Lady Bobcats an added pair of scoring threats late in the season.
“[Jones and Davis] did a good job of stepping up,” coach Davis said. “They contributed in a lot of ways and did a lot of the intangibles.”
That depth allowed Celina to prevail for a 51-49 overtime victory against Gainesville in the bi-district round of the playoffs. The team then cruised to a 71-52 win against Melissa in the area round before needing overtime once again in the regional quarterfinals.
“Being able to pull out some close games like that helps you mentally and helps you grow up,” coach Davis said.
The team’s second postseason overtime affair was a 65-56 victory against Madison, which eliminated District 10-3A champion Lone Star in the opening round. The win put the Lady Bobcats into a regional semifinals matchup against Pittsburg, with Celina’s postseason run ending in a 41-36 defeat.
“Any time you make it to Austin, that becomes your goal,” coach Davis said. “That’s always the end game.”
The loss gave Celina a 28-7 record on the year. And with the entire roster returning, anticipation should be high once again next season.
“When you don’t lose anybody, you will definitely have high expectations,” coach Davis said. “Everyone will have playoff experience and at least one year under their belts.”
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