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Top Ten Celina Sports Stories of 2012: 6. Date with state: Lady Bobcats book trip to Austin
BY Chris O’Dell, codell@starlocalnews.com
The Celina girls basketball team has never won a state championship.
That could change this weekend as the Lady Bobcats earned a berth in the Class 3A State Tournament with a 65-50 victory over Liberty-Eylau in Saturday’s Region II Final.
“It’s every coach and player’s dream to win a state title,” said Jordan Davis, Celina head coach.
Davis said Saturday’s win was an impressive showing from her players.
“They came out ready to play in that first quarter,” she said. “We just came out focused and hitting shots, which was huge. That first quarter was pretty special.”
The Lady Bobcats poured in 27 points during the quarter and carried a 13-point advantage into the second frame. On the offensive end, the team was led by seniors Presley Stastny and Kynzie Newman, who combined for 35 points on the night.
“Those early leads have been nice,” Davis said. “We always tell the girls to make sure they’re ready to play.”
That opening quarter proved to be beneficial for Celina, as Liberty-Eylau went toe-to-toe with the Lady Bobcats over the final three frames. However, with Stastny scoring a game-high 18 points and Newman adding 17, the Lady Bobcats were able to come away with a 65-50 victory and state tourney spot.
The victory came a day after Celina took on Pittsburg in the regional semifinals.
The Lady Bobcats had little difficulty with their opponent in that one, taking a convincing 52-24 contest behind a game-high 14 points from Newman.
“We were prepared for [Pittsburg],” Davis said. “The girls came out and played really hard and we built a good lead.”
After a 12-7 advantage through the first eight minutes, Celina opened the game up in the second frame. A 20-point showing on the offensive end, coupled with a stingy defensive performance that saw Pittsburg tally only three points in the second, allowed the Lady Bobcats to extend their lead to 32-10 at the break. With senior Amanda Gerths adding 10 points and freshman KJ Stastny contributing nine, Celina earned the win over Pittsburg to put the team into Saturday’s showdown with Liberty-Eylau.
Celina now looks to state.
The Lady Bobcats open the four-team tournament at 2 p.m. today against Lorena from the Frank Erwin Center in Austin.
“We’ll do a lot of what we normally do,” Davis said. “[Lorena] is fundamentally sound and plays really good defense.”
The winner will face Liberty Hill (35-4) or defending state champion Abilene Wylie (34-5) in the Class 3A State Finals at 10 a.m. Saturday.
If it’s Abilene Wylie in the title tilt, the Lady Bobcats would have to go against standout guard Peyton Little, who torched Lovejoy in last year’s championship game for a state-record 43 points.
“I think most people around Texas have heard of Peyton Little and what she’s been able to do,” Davis said. “I’ve definitely followed them a little bit.”
At 33-3, Celina is still seeking two more wins to reach its ultimate goal.
“It’s going to take four good quarters to win these games,” Davis said.
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