PLANO: The Varsity Girls Basketball team went on the road for the regular season finale on Tuesday, squaring off against Prestonwood Christian Academy. The Lady Cards defeated the Lions in their previous matchup this year, a 61-35 thumping at home back on January 18th. With a win over PCA, John Paul II would secure a share of the TAPPS 6A - District 2 title, tying Bishop Lynch for the best record in district at 9-1.
Entering the Lions Den to face their cross-town rivals in the is never easy, but the Lady Cardinals were in total control from the opening jump ball. Suffocating defense forced turnover after turnover and JPII outscored PCA 14-4 in the first quarter. The visitors shot an eye-popping 58% from the floor as they went into the break leading 29-14. The second half proved to be more of the same, as the Lady Cards went on a 21-3 run in the third quarter, cruising to a 54-27 win.
Once again,
Taylor Haggan led all scorers with 15 points. The junior battled through double teams all night and earned multiple trips to the line, with a pair of huge and-ones that quieted the PCA supporters. Junior point guard
Lydia Cooke-Wiggins dropped 12 on the Lions and picked apart the home team defense with ease. Fellow junior
Sydney Wade added nine points with speed as her greatest weapon, running laps around the Lions, picking off passes and scoring several uncontested layups.
Allysia McDaniel had a big second half, scoring nine as well and used her size advantage to outmaneuver and drive by helpless PCA defenders. The Lions simply had no answer for the ball movement and defensive intensity from JPII.
This concludes the regular season for the Lady Cardinals, as they once again will share the TAPPS 6A-2 title with a 31-7 overall record and 9-1 district record. A deep postseason run for JPII could see the team match or eclipse the program record 34-win mark set back in 2019-2020. Looking ahead, John Paul II will now face Fort Worth All Saints on Tuesday, February 22 in the TAPPS Area Playoffs at 7pm at home.
