Big Night on Tap For Lady Scot Seniors
We don’t want to over-dramatize things, but there are multiple compelling storylines for the Highland Park girls basketball team heading into their final home game of the season on Friday.
It will be the last home game for five seniors — Katie Thiebaud, Laura Edwards, Alex Reynolds, Caroline McDaniel, and Meredith Chaussee — who will be recognized during a pregame ceremony.
But perhaps more importantly, the Lady Scots (16-8, 7-5) can clinch a playoff berth if they defeat Carrollton Newman Smith. HP currently is tied for third place in the District 10-4A standings with Mesquite Poteet, two games ahead of fifth-place North Forney and Carrollton Creekview.
The Lady Scots fell to second-place Newman Smith on the road earlier this month. But Friday’s rematch isn’t exactly a do-or-die scenario for HP, which will finish the regular season with a road game on Tuesday at winless Terrell. They could clinch a postseason berth with a victory there, too.
HP put itself in good position with a 47-42 win over Creekview on Tuesday. Reynolds scored a game-high 14 points as the Lady Scots held off a late Creekview rally.
On the boys side, HP already has clinched a playoff spot with four regular-season games remaining. But the Scots could inch closer to the district title with a win on Friday at Newman Smith.
The Scots (24-3, 10-0) are a game ahead of the Trojans (15-5, 9-1) in the standings, and defeated them 73-60 in the first meeting on Jan. 7. HP also swept Smith last season, when the two teams shared the 10-4A crown, and knocked them out of the playoffs two years ago. So the Trojans likely will be motivated after those four straight losses.
The Scots kept their unblemished league record intact with a 92-57 win over West Mesquite on Friday followed by a 62-47 victory over Creekview on Tuesday. Evan Beucler paced the Scots in scoring in both games.
