GARLAND — Senior guards Allison Staley and Devri Owens talked in the locker room before Tuesday’s game about how they needed to lead the way because they didn’t want Plano West’s season to end in the Class 5A regional quarterfinals for a fifth consecutive year.
It took two quarters for the guards to get warmed up, but when they did, Mesquite Horn stood no chance.
Staley and Owens combined for 21 second-half points as Plano West pulled awayfor a 62-40 victory at the CurtisCulwellCenter.
“I never thought we would win by 20, but I thought we couldpull it out,” Plano West coach Don Patterson said. “This group knows how to win. There have been games I didn’t think we should’ve won earlier in theseason, and they found a way to win.”
The lopsided second half began with Staley and Owens buryingback-to-back triples from opposite corners, giving Plano West (36-3) somebreathing room after entering halftime tied, 24-24.
“We were waiting on someone to hit one,” said Patterson.
“Usually when they hit one, they’re going to hit at least one or two more. Ourshooters got into more of a rhythm, and when that starts happening, everybody picks up the intensity.”
Horn (25-7) was still in contention to start the final quarter, trailing 40-30, but like she did immediately after halftime, Owens madea 3-pointer to kick-start what turned out to be a 9-0 run.
The offensivesurge turned into confidence on the defensive end. Horn managed only five fieldgoals in the second half and never scored more than four consecutive points.
Staley and junior guard Tyara Warren-Cox led Plano West with 13 points apiece. Warren-Cox did some of her best offensive work in the second quarter,keeping Plano West afloat by scoring all six of its points in the period. All of Staley’s points came in the second half.
Freshman forward Jada Underwood scored seven points in thesecond half and led Horn with 11.