Varsity Girls Basketball Maintains Winning Streak in District Play

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Ronald Fisher III, Guest Reporter

Ranked number one in state, the girls varsity basketball team hopes to bring home a district championship at the end of this season. They’re currently undefeated, and will play at Cedar Park High School tonight.

The season started with a 85-52 win against Austin LBJ. The Lady Rangers have 69 offensive rebounds this season. Then, they went on to beat Hendrickson 84-66, Austin High 54-38, and received first place in the Marble Falls Tournament. They average 70.6 points per game at a rate of 41 percent.

“It was a good start for the team,” senior point guard Japreece Dean said. “It was pretty smooth, but not as good as we want it to be. We just need to work harder on the defensive end.”

They have 61 steals this season, and senior point guard Japreece Dean leads in steals. From day one, the team has worked on technique and skills to make them better players offensively and defensively. The Lady Rangers practice at least two hours a day except for game days. They usually work on offensive and defensive drills to make sure their technique is precise. They also use competition as a motivator during practices.

“Practice is always hype and great physically and emotionally,” Dean said. “During games, it is the same because we practice how we play.”

Both players and coaches are leaders on the team. Along with the head coach, Pecos McDaniel and assistant coaches Becky Craig and Courtney Trahan, there are five seniors on the team including: 5’10” center/forward Rachel Brown, 5’5” point guard Japreece Dean, 5’8” shooting guard Katrina Pardee, 5’1” guard Kourtney Starnes and 5’11” forward/center Jaryn Wacker.

“The team chemistry is great,” Pardee said. “Being a senior is like being a player coach on the court.”

The team averages 37 percent from the 3-pointer. The players with the highest percentage from the arch are junior guard/forward Danielle Rainey and sophomore guard Nicole Cardano-Hilary with an average of 66 percent.

“We are lights out from the arch,” McDaniel said. “We sometimes shoot better from the three than a 2-pointer.”

McDaniel said the team has potential to be really good because the team is so talented. Dean said the team has very high expectations.

Goals are set for every team, but only one team can be ranked number one in state. The Lady Rangers are working to get their first state title this year. The team has chemistry and leadership, and solid student athletes with numerous all-district and all-academic awards spread across the team as well as signings to college, and are hoping to use it as an advantage.

The team will played their first district game against Leander High School on Dec. 9, and play Cedar Park tonight, there, at 5:30 p.m.

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