Plano East sophomore Arianna Robinson (11) scored a career-high 39 points in last Friday’s 56-36 road win over Prosper Rock Hill. Photo by Andy Redmond / C&S Media
By David Wolman
Plano East sophomore guard Arianna Robinson is capable of taking over a game at any time.
The five-star recruit did exactly that in the third quarter of Friday’s road game at District 6-6A rival Prosper Rock Hill.
Robinson scored 14 of her career-high 39 points in the third quarter to lift the Lady Panthers to a crucial 56-36 win over the Lady Blue Hawks.
“Ari got on a heater, as she can do sometimes,” head coach Derrick Richardson said.
Robinson’s offensive onslaught helped Plano East pull away and increase a 20-12 halftime lead to 40-22 at the end of the third quarter.
Although the Lady Panthers led by just eight points at halftime, their defense was keeping a potent Lady Blue Hawks offense in check.
Plano East held Rock Hill without a made field goal in the second quarter, and a fast-break layup by senior Nariah Witherspoon gave the Lady Panthers an eight-point edge at the break.
“The team as a whole stepped up their defense in the second half,” Richardson said. “It was just our overall energy and commitment to getting stops in general. We told them that the offense would take care of itself and that our defense would make the difference.”
The win kept Plano East (13-6 overall, 5-0 District 6-6A) in first place in the district.
The defense of the Plano East boys basketball team was just as good.
The Panthers raced out to a 20-4 lead at the end of the first quarter, and Plano East led by as many as 33 points in the first half in an eventual 71-35 road win over Rock Hill.
A balanced offensive attack highlighted the Panthers’ dominance. Nine players scored in the first half and 13 overall. Senior Luke Wasemiller knocked down a trio of 3-pointers in the first half and finished with nine points. Senior guard Jayden Parker poured in a team-high 10 points.
Plano East (13-2 overall, 3-0 district) rolled into the holiday break with its 12th straight win and remained unbeaten in district play.
Friday’s win came three days after the Panthers finished strong to earn a 58-43 non-district victory over Denton Braswell on Dec. 16.
The difference was a 20-10 fourth-quarter run.
That spurt came after Plano East led 38-33 at the end of the third quarter.
The win came despite no Panther finishing with more than nine points. Plano East got the job done with balance. Senior forward Moustafa Abualneel led the way with nine points, followed by seven each from juniors RJ Robinson and Dylan Glass.
Plano East will return to action at 2:30 p.m. next Monday against Nolan Catholic to tip off the 68th Championship Basketball Tournament at Chisholm Trail High School.
The Lady Panthers will compete in the Mansfield Spring Creek Girls Basketball Invitational beginning next Monday. Plano East’s first-round game will be against Spring Branch Memorial at noon at Mansfield Summit High School.