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A season to remember: North girls set several program records
By Richard C. White, rwhite@starlocalnews.com
The No. 8 ranked McKinney North girls basketball team may not have reached the state tournament as the players, coaches and fans had hoped, but their 2012-13 season is one that will be fondly remembered all the same.
"It was a great season, it was just a heartbreaking end," said Michael Oldham, North head coach. "We did have higher expectations to go deeper. I'm just disappointed that I didn't lead them there."
The Lady Bulldogs finished the season 30-4 after losing to Red Oak last week in their area round matchup from Sachse High School.
While North didn't reach the state tournament in Austin, the team did set several program records along the way.
"When you look back on the season as a whole it was very satisfying with all the goals that we met," Oldham said. "This team certainly set the standard for what all future North teams will be measured by, especially for the next several years. They're benchmarks for other teams to shoot for and I think we have the talent coming up to meet those goals."
Chief among North's record-setting accomplishments are its 30 wins and 23-game win streak. North also went a perfect 14-0 through District 13-4A to claim the district title.
"This season was special," Mason said. "While we didn't get as far as we wanted, we have nothing to be ashamed of. It's an honor knowing we set the bar for the other teams to come. The standards are higher now."
Other North milestones include more than 2,000 total points scored, as well as scoring an average of more than 60 points a game, and an impressive 41-point defensive average in addition to many more individual records that were set.
While the records are nice, Oldham is even happier with the intangibles his close-knit team displayed this year.
"I'm most proud of the way the girls handled themselves as a team on and off the court," he said. "We didn't have any chemistry issues this year and they all played their roles tremendously well and that's what led to our success."
Among the three seniors North is losing to graduation is Mason, who was central to the Lady Bulldogs' transformation into a state-ranked power. North made the playoffs all four of her years at the varsity level and her freshman year was the first time the Lady Bulldogs had made the postseason.
"She not only had a great impact this season, but for her four years here at North," Oldham said. "I know it was a personal goal of hers to leave a legacy here at North and she's definitely done that. She's a big part of the culture here and her name is all over our record books."
Mason said her fondest memories will be the strong foundation she and her teammates are leaving behind for future North teams.
"It makes me feel pretty happy," she said. "It was a lot of fun to be on this team and contribute to all of the records we set."
While North is losing Mason, it will still have two of its other central pieces from this year returning next season in junior KK Connor and sophomore Chanterria Jackson.
"KK and Chanterria coming back is important for us with all that they can do on the floor," Oldham said. "We'll be looking for leadership out of those two, so the cupboard is definitely not bare. We'll be looking for those two to improve not just next season, but over the summer, too."
When all is said and done, Oldham hopes his players focus less on their second round exit and more on the accomplishment-filled journey that led them there.
"You can't wrap a whole season up in one night of bad shooting," he said. "That wouldn't be fair to the kids and that's what we'd be doing if we only focused on that playoff game. It was definitely a good year."
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