WEST:  The Varsity Girls Basketball team took on Bishop Lynch in the TAPPS 6A Semi-Finals on Friday night at Waco's University High School.  To get there, the Lady Cardinals had to get by All Saints Episcopal in the Area round and Liberty Christian in the Regional final.  Squaring off against the Friars would prove to be a grudge match of sorts, as the two teams were 1-1 against each other during district play while sharing the 6A-District 2 regular season crown.  

John Paul II came out on fire, jumping out to 10 point lead in the first quarter.  The Lady Cards stayed out in front, maintaining their lead throughout the game, leading by as much as 15 at one point.  Fans knew that the Friars would surge back eventually, and to start the fourth quarter, the Bishop Lynch made its run, cutting the lead to 8.  The relentless defense of John Paul II proved to be too much to overcome as the Lady Cards held on to clinch the win and a spot in the State Championship following a 55-48 win.  Junior guard Lydia Cooke-Wiggins had a monster game and led all scorers with 22 points, followed by fellow junior post Taylor Haggan, who poured in 12 and owned the paint all night.  Additionally, junior forward Destiny Jones' superb defense helped seal the victory while chipping in 8 points.

Headed back to the state championship game for the first time since 2013, the Lady Cardinals would face the Antonian College Prep Lady Apaches on Saturday, March 5th at 6:30pm at West High School.  Antonian, winners of TAPPS 6A-District 3, took care of business against St. Pius X, St. Agnes, and The Village School on their way to the title game.  

On Saturday night the two teams squared off with bragging rights for the next year on the line.  It was clear from the opening tip that the Lady Cards were simply on another level.  John Paul II never trailed in the game, storming out to a 21-7 lead after the first quarter.  The combination of JPII's defensive pressure and size down low spelled doom for the Apaches, who struggled to find ways to get into the paint and resorted to long range attempts.  Carrying a 35-22 lead into halftime, it was all about not allowing a comeback in the second half.  Sensing defeat, Antonian took more and more chances on both sides of the ball, and the Lady Cards pounced on the Apache mistakes, running up their lead to 52-37 by the end of the third.  John Paul II led by as much as 18 points down the stretch, ending up victorious by the score of 68-57.  

In the final, junior Lydia Cooke-Wiggins once again led all scorers with 21 points, while junior Taylor Haggan added 18 of her own.  Juniors Sydney Wade and Alana Goosby each contributed eight points along with excellent defense throughout the game to help seal the victory.  All four were also named to the All-Tournament team.

The John Paul II Lady Cardinals finish the season with the most wins in program history, going 35-7 on the year and capturing the TAPPS 6A Girls State Championship.  In his four seasons at the helm, head coach John Griffin has logged a 108-34 record, a winning percentage of 76%.  Leading the Lady Cards back to the promised land for the first time in nine years, Griffin has JPII positioned as the team to beat in TAPPS 6A going forward.  Congratulations to all of our players, especially seniors Taylor Bean, Carmen Nelson, and Sydni Greene.  You have carried the Lady Cards back to the mountaintop and given us all an unforgettable season!