SAN ANTONIO – Coach Allison Campbell will lead her North Shore Lady Mustangs into the state 6A Region III semi-finals on Friday evening, in a 7 p.m. game at the Alamodome.
This is the first time that the Lady Mustangs have reached this far into the finals. North Shore’s record for the season is 361, with their only loss to Duncanville, the number one Class 6A team in the state. The North Shore Lady Mustangs are rated number 2 in the state for Class 6A.
North Shore will play Dekaney (also 36-1) in the semi-final game Friday night, and then if they win they will play in the finals on Saturday evening at 8:30 p.m. In this match, they will face either Duncanville (37-1) again, or Cibolo Steele (36-3).
North Shore reached the playoffs by defeating Tompkins 73-41, and Clear Springs 71-61 in the 6A Region III semifinals last Saturday at the Campbell Center in Aldine.
After beating Clear Springs, coach Campbell said “I’ve been waiting for this for 16 years, and not for me, for North Shore.”
In that game, outstanding scoring was by junior guard Chasity Patterson with 26 points. At one point North Shore held a 29 point lead, in the third quarter. Patterson helped that with three threepointers.
Other high scorers for that game were Alyssa Okoene with 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Victoria Blankenship with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Madisyn Francis had 8 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals.
However, the Lady Mustangs will have to play their best game against Dekaney Friday night, and then again Saturday if they reach the finals. Duncanville is the final hurdle, with a 37-0 record and is an eight time state champion. Duncanville has been to the finals 24 times, and was the only loss that the Lady Mustangs suffered this season.
The state tournament is in San Antonio’s Alamodome for the second year, having traditionally been in Austin. Another Houston school, Crosby (30-7), is so excited to be in the 5A Region III tournament that they have announced schools will be dismissed early Thursday, and cancelled on Friday so that the community can attend the games in San Antonio.