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Fatal Fourth-way: Final quarter haunts Wildcats in tourney split
BY Matt Welch, mwelch@acnpapers.com
As District 8-5A's boys basketball outfits played through the second leg of their tournament schedules, Plano Senior went a bit off the radar this past weekend.
While other teams plied their crafts around the area, the Wildcats journeyed to Lake Travis for a stint in the 23rd Annual Hill Country Classic.
The Wildcats didn't enjoy much breathing room during a 2-2 run.
Three of Plano's four tournament tilts were decided by a combined four points.
The Wildcats wound up 1-2 in those games, but managed to finally get the upper-hand in a close call with an 85-83 win over Schertz Clemens in the third-place consolation matchup Saturday afternoon.
Plano's victory came more via means of survival, as the team nearly let a 20-point lead fritter away in the fourth quarter. With the starters, paced by 18 points from senior Austin Mitchell, holding up their end of the bargain, Parlin opted to use the game's final frame as a chance to get playing time for the reserves.
"It felt like a good opportunity to get some guys in who don't usually play a lot," Parlin said. "Obviously, we were a bit tired with that being our fourth game in two days and we wanted to give some others a chance to play.
"Then Clemens starts chipping away and next thing I know, it's an 11-point game."
The starters subbed back in, but Clemens continued to fire away.
The Wildcats staved off the late surge, with noted contributions from Mitchell and senior Malcolm Mann. Parlin mentioned seniors Kevin Nelsen, Travis Warman and Shawn James as other standout performers on the weekend.
The game typified Plano's tournament run, with a trek to the consolation finals derailed earlier that day against state-ranked 4A outfit and tournament host Lake Travis. Like the Clemens matchup, the Wildcats were the victims of a late surge. Only this time, Plano's lead was surrendered in a 73-72 loss.
"That was a frustrating one," Parlin said. "We had them and just let them get loose. It was unfortunate and I'm confident that we could have won that tournament, but we also gave up way too many points along the way."
Mitchell led the Wildcats with 22 points, while Warman and James each chipped in 11 in a game that saw Plano weather a 20-10 deficit after the first quarter and rally back within 44-43 after three frames.
The fourth quarter was where things got dicey.
"Offensively, I felt like we executed well," Parlin said. "It was just down the stretch where things broke down. But credit the other teams because they hit some great shots on us to get back."
Turnovers and missed free throws were key cogs in Plano's fourth-quarter woes.
A similar fate awaited the Wildcats out of the gates Friday afternoon in a 73-72 loss to eventual tourney champion Brazosport.
Behind 22 points from Mann and 18 from Mitchell, the Wildcats managed a 54-52 lead entering the fourth quarter, only to surrender 21 points for the Exporters' most productive frame.
The Wildcats' only spurt of breathing room came in a 64-54 win over McAllen Friday night. Plano swarmed McAllen from the onset, allowing just seven points in the second quarter en route to a 41-25 lead at the half. In victory, 11 Wildcats scored with 21 points from Mitchell complemented by 10 points from both Mann and James.
There were also off-court matters, as the time spent on the road allowed plenty of time for players to bond as the non-district schedule winds down.
"I think it's fun for the guys to get away for a bit," Parlin said. "It's a good time for building chemistry and I know the kids enjoy the trip; just the fact that we could have a bit of hanging out and play different teams from around the state is always fun."
The tournament also marked the final stop before district play commences on Tuesday with a 7:30 p.m. home meeting against Flower Mound.
"It'll be a different environment because school will have been out," Parlin said. "I'm not sure what kind of crowd we'll have, but we have to take care of business. It'd be a huge bump for us to get that first district win before we host our tournament.
"That first district win always sets you up pretty good."
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