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Class of '66 Old Fart

(2023) - G Julianna LaMendola to INDIANA

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FORT WORTH, Texas — The best season in more than 30 years will continue at least for one more day for Coppell.

The Cowgirls dominated early and then held off a late charge from Southlake Carroll to pick up a 51-41 victory in a Class 6A Region 1 semifinal game on Friday night on Robert Hughes Court.

This is the first semifinal berth for Coppell since 1990 and now it will have a chance to punch a first-ever trip to the UIL State Tournament on Saturday with the finals slated at 1 p.m. against the winner of Keller/Little Elm.

The No. 11-ranked team in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches poll made only four field goals in the second half, using a big first half and enough free throws late to move on.

“I’m really happy and proud of my team that we’re going to the regional finals and I think we’re all excited for it,” said Coppell standout Jules LaMendola, who had 13 points. “We worked really hard for this and we are now preparing for whoever we play next.”

The Cowgirls (37-3) dominated early and held a double-digit lead throughout most of the second quarter. LaMendola, who signed with Indiana, drew a lot of attention on the offensive end but the Cowgirls got timely baskets in the first half from Ella Spiller, who scored all 12 of her points in the first half – six in each of the first two frames. Alyssa Potter knocked down a 3-pointer in each quarter and helped build a 25-11 lead midway through the second.

The Dragons, No. 8 in the state, rallied behind Army signee Camryn Tade, who scored half of her team’s 14 points in the second quarter.

Carroll (31-4) pulled within 30-23 late but a bucket by LaMendola with three seconds left gave the Cowgirls a 32-23 lead at the break.

Coppell extended the lead to 10 after the third quarter, 39-29, though Milania Jordan scored with a second left for Carroll.

In the round of 16 for the third year in a row, the Dragons showed their veteran presence in the fourth quarter.

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44 minutes ago, Class of '66 Old Fart said:

Interesting match-up in the 6A semifinal game tomorrow.  Jules and Coppell vs. '24 Arianna Roberson and San Antonio Clark.  Roberson holds an IU offer.

Regardless of outcome of this game, Jules should "close the sale" after the game and get Arianna to commit to IU.

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4 hours ago, Todd41 said:

Regardless of outcome of this game, Jules should "close the sale" after the game and get Arianna to commit to IU.

I wish I could have been better able to follow Arianna's season but girl's basketball isn't a hot newspaper topic in San Antonio.  For awhile, her stats were being posted on MaxPreps and then boom, they just stopped and her early season stats are gone.  I have found one site but it only posts points and hasn't been updated for about her last 6 games.

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In a heart breaker, Jules and Coppell lose 49-48 to San Antonio Clark on an off-balance 3 with 1 sec. left.  Jules finished with 16p; 6r; 4a; 2s; 1b; 1t.  She didn't score in either the 2nd or 4th Qs but in the 4th she drew 2 offensive charges and had 3 assists finding open teammates for layups.

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Coppell Gazette -

Coppell's dream run in the state tournament met a familiar end.

A loss on a final shot in the final seconds — this time resulting in a 49-48 defeat to Northside Clark in Friday night's Class 6A state semifinal game.

A loss on a final shot was how the Cowgirls lost the district championship game earlier this season, but that district disappointment didn't stop Coppell from making a playoff run and advancing to the UIL Class 6A Girls State Final Four Friday night at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

And a loss on a final shot is how the Cowgirls' first-ever state run in program history would end, too.

Northside Clark's Natalie Huff provided the heroics as she drained a 3-pointer through a crowd with one second left to give her team a 49-48 lead. After the shot met the twine, the Clark benched emptied and a celebration ensued. But the referees went to the replay and determined one second remained on the clock.

But Coppell couldn't get a shot near the basket in that final second, sending Northside Clark to the Class 6A title game Saturday night at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

"We finished as district runner-ups on a similar play," said Coppell head coach Ryan Murphy. "We learned from it. We tried to foul, and at least I thought we did with a few seconds left. There was a reach, and I thought she got her pretty clear… Big players hit big shots, and (Huff) hit a big shot."

Coppell had only three team fouls in the final seconds of the game, so the Cowgirls had fouls to give before putting Northside Clark on the free-throw line.

This was an historic season for the Cowgirls basketball program. Just two years ago, Coppell was a program that was still adjusting to a first-time head coach. Murphy, who was hired as Cowgirls head coach in the summer of 2019 after spending the two previous seasons as an assistant under former Coppell head boys coach and current athletic director Kit Pehl, went 18-17 in his first season at the helm and 13-13 the following year as the Cowgirls but missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.

Despite going 31-30 in his first two seasons at Coppell, Murphy believed that the program was heading in the right direction.

And that belief became a reality with this season's playoff run and ticket to the Class 6A state final four.

"This is a program that was 10 years from being in the playoffs, 20 years from doing anything competitive in the playoffs, and the girls that are sitting here and in the locker room have completely changed the culture of Coppell girls basketball," Murphy said. "Four years ago when Jules (LeMendola) entered high school, going to state was not something anyone would have thought about. I am incredibly proud of these girls. What these girls did to this program — we will always remember this team."

Coppell senior Julianna LaMendola, an Indiana University signee, finished with a team-high 16 points on 8 of 16 shooting from the floor. Ella Spiller was also a huge factor offensively for the Cowgirls with 14 points, on 6 of 12 shooting. Macey Mercer finished in double figures with 11 points, 5 of them coming on free throws in the game's final minute.

"Four years ago, none of this was in our minds," LaMendola said. "It was a team effort. Without any one of these 13 girls on our roster we wouldn't even be here. Everyone wants to attribute (our success) to me, but it is every one of our players… they are all great players. Our work ethic has been phenomenal. (Northside Clark's game winner) was a tough shot, but that shot did not lose us the game."

Northside Clark, making its second straight state final four appearance, was led in scoring by Arianna Roberson and her 22 points, followed by Huff with 15 and Kamryn Griffin with 7.

"I am really proud of our girls and how tough they have been all year and what they have meant to our program," Murphy said.

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Again, after being named Gatorade POY in Texas how could they select anyone else.  Really looking forward to watching Jules on the court.

https://www.maxpreps.com/news/_phSjtBI9kW6p-5GL2Mbwg/jules-lamendola-named-2022-23-maxpreps-texas-high-school-girls-basketball-player-of-the-year.htm

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