Plano East senior Colin O’Boyle (23) pulls down a rebound during a 47-35 win over Prosper Rock Hill on Friday. Photo by Andy Redmond / C&S Media
By David Wolman
Over the course of the season, and especially during Plano East’s (23-6, 9-2) current five-game win streak, the Panthers have leaned on their defense to get the job done.
Head coach Matt Wester said that the Panthers’ defensive effort against the Blue Hawks in a 47-35 win wasn’t as dominant compared to other games, but Friday’s game marked the 20th time this season that Plano East has held an opponent to fewer than 50 points.
“We’re holding teams below 45 points a game, and we’re rebounding the ball very well,” he said. “If we continue to do that, we’ll have a chance to be in every game.”
After trailing 3-0 to begin the game, Plano East turned to senior guard Luke Wasemiller, who Wester called “Mr. Consistent,” to get the Panthers into a good offensive rhythm. Wasemiller scored five points over a span of two minutes, with a 3-pointer giving Plano East a 7-3 lead.
The Blue Hawks had moments of brilliance on offense. However, every time Rock Hill attempted to rally, a 3-pointer restored the Panthers’ momentum — none more crucial than an RJ Robinson field goal for a 41-29 lead with 5:18 remaining in the game.
Jayden Parker led the way with 11 points, followed by seven from Alijah Plummer and six from Moustafa Abualneel.
“We’re not a bad shooting team,” Wester said. “The challenge for us is to find the right shots at the right time. The ones we made were those shots.”
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