Plano West tops Rockwall to win first state title
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03/05/2006 09:22 AM
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Plano West tops Rockwall to win first state title
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Strong second half lifts Wolves to Class 5A girls championship
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There were no motivational speeches. No shouting. No angry words. It was quiet in the Plano West locker
room at halftime, and that was just fine.
The Wolves were trailing Rockwall 18-13 in the Class 5A state championship game, and it wasn't time to
panic. As senior forward Kristen Nash put it, "We couldn't have played any worse."
In the second half, Plano West couldn't have played much better.
The Wolves, who opened the second half with an 8-0 scoring run,
took the lead and never looked back, ending their inaugural trip to
the state tournament with a 54-47 victory.
Kathleen Nash, Kristen's younger sister, was almost perfect on
Saturday. She made all six of her shots from the field, went 5 of 7
from the foul line, finishing with 17 points, eight rebounds and was
named the game's most valuable player.
Kristen Nash contributed nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds
and senior guard Alexis Morgan poured in 14 points in her final high
school game.
Jack Plunkett
ASSOCIATED PRESS
(enlarge photo)
Rockwall's Haley Day, right,
looks to make a pass around
Plano West's Kristen Nash in
the fourth quarter on Saturday.
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Coach Don Patterson said he didn't raise his voice at halftime,
although the Wolves were shooting poorly and being outrebounded
by a shorter team.
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"All I said to them is that we were passive on offense and defense,
and we needed to step it up," Patterson said.
His message apparently sank in.
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The Wolves outscored the Lady Jackets 24-8 in the frantic third
quarter, turning their five-point deficit into a 37-26 lead entering the
fourth period.
While Rockwall — riding a 22-point performance by guard
Genevieve Campbell — never gave up, Plano West was never in
danger of losing the lead.
"We'd been in that position before," said Morgan, referring to her team's poor first half. "What we
needed to do was match their intensity."
Morgan, the smallest player on the court at 5 feet, 2 inches and 105 pounds, played big when it
mattered, hitting on 3 of her 4 three-point shots from the field. Her backcourt partner, Rachel Hester,
sparkled, too, hitting a pair of treys and finishing with nine points.
This marked the first time both teams had reached the state tournament.
Kristen Nash said winning state is a perfect way to end her senior season. "I've been waiting for this
moment for four years," she said.
What made the night special was seeing her sister being named MVP.
http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/other/03/5GAME5A.html
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Plano West tops Rockwall to win first state title
03/05/2006 09:22 AM
Kathleen Nash was pivotal late in the game, hitting four free throws in the final 21 seconds to shake off a Rockwall rally.
"I wanted it for her more than I wanted (the MVP) for myself," Kristen said. "She has always played well when we needed her. She's so
underrated. She rebounds, makes steals, everything."
With the Nash sisters and teammate Micah Garoutte (all 6-2) inside, Plano West had a 24-14 edge in points in the paint.
"We've been able to step things up in big games," Kathleen Nash said.
On Saturday, it was the biggest game of all.
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http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/sports/stories/other/03/5GAME5A.html
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