Plano East basketball gets season underway

PLANO, TX – Plano East had two basket­ball programs with different expectations entering the year.

The boys’ had to replace the bulk of their talent from last year, while the girls’ had a lot of momentum from a young roster that had gained playoff experience last season. The girls’ team faced a difficult early schedule and find them­selves at .500, going 2-2.

The Lady Panthers had just a few seniors on the team last season and returned the bulk of their talent. They ran a very balanced approach with mul­tiple contributors.

Any given night could yield a strong performance from Do­navia Hall, Tiana Amos, Kayla Cooper and Taylor Haggan, as all return after significant contribution last season. Hag­gan in particular was named the Newcomer of the Year for District 9-6A, leading the team in scoring and rebounding at 8.7 points per game and 5.3 re­bounds per game. Expectations were high.

Texas High School Girls Basketball, an independent blog ranked the Lady Panthers as the no. 9 team in all of 6A in their preseason rankings because of their youth. Those players helped Plano East with early wins over Lincoln and Lancaster in their opening two weeks.