While playing for a tournament title is usually its own reward, being in the Collin County Roundball Classic finals was only part of the motivation for Plano West Saturday night as the Lady Wolves also got to face Duncanville.

The Pantherettes entered the game undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the state.

But Duncanville wouldn't leave the gym with an undefeated record or first-place tournament trophy as West picked up the 58-50 victory.

"The girls know that we expect to be in these kinds of situations and that we are good enough to play with elite teams like Duncanville," said Don Patterson, West head coach. "They were very excited to beat Duncanville and then I think winning the tournament was kind of the icing on that cake."

But baking said championship cake wasn't easy.

Neither team was able to establish much of an advantage as the game progressed with the contest tied after one, 20-20, Duncanville ahead by one point at the break and West pulling in front by two heading into the final frame.

"It was a tight game the whole way," Patterson said. "It kept going back and forth."

That isn't surprising considering the two teams are similarly constructed. Neither has a great deal of size and relies primarily on quick guard play to make the offense go.

Those guards scored the bulk of West's points Saturday night as junior Devri Owens and senior Paige Womack put in 13 points while sophomore Tyara Warren added 10. Senior Kiran Lakhian, one of the few Lady Wolves taller than 5-foot-8, posted 12 points in the win.

Duncanville countered with a game-high 16 points from Kiara Perry and 13 from Ariel Atkins.

But for all the points scored in transition or by driving the lane, it was the free throw line where West put things away.

The Lady Wolves tied the game, 47-47, following a sequence in which they procured a steal and multiple rebounds before a putback. West closed out on an 11-3 run from there after converting 13-of-15 from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter.

"Our free-throw shooting was very good down the stretch," Patterson said.

Also worth noting was the Lady Wolves' defense, which held the Pantherettes in check at times by breaking out a zone, which has been rare for West this season.

"That zone probably did hurt them a bit," Patterson said.

The 58-50 win was West's second triumph of the day as the team bested Frisco Liberty, 64-48, in the semifinals Saturday afternoon. The Lady Wolves broke the game open with a 17-5 advantage in the second quarter.

"Liberty has got a good little team," Patterson said. "We had a good second quarter where our defense turned it up and we were able to get a few steals and some easy buckets."

Ten West players scored in the semifinals with Womack leading the way at 15 points and junior Randi Reinhardt adding 12.

"We were able to play a lot of girls in that game," Patterson said, "which was good because we knew we would have to play twice that day and that can be pretty tough."

West showed no ill effects in the nightcap.

Following its fourth victory in four days, Owens was named Collin County Roundball Classic MVP and Lakhian was selected for the all-tournament team.

The title also vaulted West from No. 13 to No. 8 in the latest state rankings from the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. The Lady Wolves are 14-1 this season with their lone loss coming at the hands of No. 1 Irving MacArthur. That 56-51 decision was the Lady Cardinals' closest game this season.

"We are in a good spot right now, but hopefully this tournament will not be the highlight of our season," Patterson said. "This won't mean anything if we don't build on it."

West, which went on to defeat Bishop Lynch Tuesday night, 56-35, opens district play at 7:30 p.m. Friday on the road against Lewisville.

East takes third at tournament

One of the teams Duncanville upended on its way to the tournament finals was Plano East in the semifinals, 79-49.

The Lady Panthers would bounce back Saturday evening in the third-place game as they defeated Liberty, 61-56. Seniors Paris Bridges and Jordan Goforth led the way with 11 and 10 points, respectively, as East finished the weekend with a 3-1 record.

East opens 8-5A at 7:30 p.m. Friday by hosting Flower Mound Marcus while Plano Senior, which was off over the weekend, hosts Allen at the same time.

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