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Lady Cavs living up to hype with 13-0 start
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| College Park’s Catie Laughlin grabs a rebound against Eisenhower in the Conroe Tigerette Tournament earlier this season. The Lady Cavs are 13-0 for the first time in school history. |
By JAY LANGLEY
Although the College Park Lady Cavaliers came into the season ranked among the top 10 teams in the state, they have exceeded the expectations of coach Kip Anderson during the first three weeks of the season.
“We have started the season with a bang,” Anderson said. “We are really playing team basketball.”
The Lady Cavs are off to the first 13-0 start in school history and have moved up to No. 2 in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches’ Class 5A poll.
College Park has won two tournaments in the same season for the first time. The Lady Cavs took first place at the Conroe Tigerette Tournament and the McDonald’s Invitational in Pasadena.
But more impressive than their 13-0 start is the fashion in which the Lady Cavs are winning. Through 13 contests, College Park’s average margin of victory is 32.2 points per game.
“To be as dominant as we have been is a little surprising,” Anderson said. “But most of our girls have been playing together for three or four years now and they are really playing great together.”
Junior Nicole Morgan leads College Park with 16 points and seven rebounds per game. Senior Monique Smalls is averaging 13.5 points, eight steals and seven assists.
“I didn’t think we would be this good this early,” Smalls said. “But we have played together for many years and it’s just really clicking for us.”
College Park is 3-0 against teams ranked in the top 15 with victories over No. 3 Bellaire, No. 10 Mansfield Summit and No. 11 Cypress Fairbanks. But the Lady Cavs are not talking about a possible undefeated season.
“We are not worried about our record,” Smalls said. “If we lose a a game, we want to do it now before district or the state tournament.”
The schedule does not get any easier for College Park as the Lady Cavs play two top 10 teams this week in Aldine Nimitz and Pflugerville.
Nimitz has the top-ranked girls player in the nation in Baylor recruit Brittney Griner. Highlights of Griner dunking have been shown a few times on ESPN this season.
“She’s going to get her points and her rebounds,” Anderson said of the 6-foot-8 Griner. “Hopefully we can contain the other four players on the floor.”
Last season Griner scored 28 points and grabbed 14 boards in a 50-46 College Park win.
While Nimitz boasts the best player in the state, the Lady Cavs are hoping to be the last team standing at the end of the year.
“We have played great so far,” Anderson said. “But we are taking it one game at a time. We know that because of the high ranking every team wants to try extra hard to beat us.”
“We have started the season with a bang,” Anderson said. “We are really playing team basketball.”
The Lady Cavs are off to the first 13-0 start in school history and have moved up to No. 2 in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches’ Class 5A poll.
College Park has won two tournaments in the same season for the first time. The Lady Cavs took first place at the Conroe Tigerette Tournament and the McDonald’s Invitational in Pasadena.
But more impressive than their 13-0 start is the fashion in which the Lady Cavs are winning. Through 13 contests, College Park’s average margin of victory is 32.2 points per game.
“To be as dominant as we have been is a little surprising,” Anderson said. “But most of our girls have been playing together for three or four years now and they are really playing great together.”
Junior Nicole Morgan leads College Park with 16 points and seven rebounds per game. Senior Monique Smalls is averaging 13.5 points, eight steals and seven assists.
“I didn’t think we would be this good this early,” Smalls said. “But we have played together for many years and it’s just really clicking for us.”
College Park is 3-0 against teams ranked in the top 15 with victories over No. 3 Bellaire, No. 10 Mansfield Summit and No. 11 Cypress Fairbanks. But the Lady Cavs are not talking about a possible undefeated season.
“We are not worried about our record,” Smalls said. “If we lose a a game, we want to do it now before district or the state tournament.”
The schedule does not get any easier for College Park as the Lady Cavs play two top 10 teams this week in Aldine Nimitz and Pflugerville.
Nimitz has the top-ranked girls player in the nation in Baylor recruit Brittney Griner. Highlights of Griner dunking have been shown a few times on ESPN this season.
“She’s going to get her points and her rebounds,” Anderson said of the 6-foot-8 Griner. “Hopefully we can contain the other four players on the floor.”
Last season Griner scored 28 points and grabbed 14 boards in a 50-46 College Park win.
While Nimitz boasts the best player in the state, the Lady Cavs are hoping to be the last team standing at the end of the year.
“We have played great so far,” Anderson said. “But we are taking it one game at a time. We know that because of the high ranking every team wants to try extra hard to beat us.”
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