Adam Bremner
Staff Writer

After being bounced in the first round by Justin Northwest in 2010, the Coppell Cowboy basketball team was able to pass that threshold this season by defeating the Plano Wildcats, 65-58.

Played at North Texas, this game featured two evenly matched squads and was decided by a 15-1 run displayed by the Cowboys. At half, the Wildcats were up, 32-31, after a late Coppell turnover led to two Plano points. Then came a quarter that was split into two sections as both teams sparked a run of their own.

First, the Wildcats stormed out to a 45-34 lead midway through the third quarter as the Cowboys were struggling to find their offense. Nonetheless, the Cowboys fended off Plano’s offense by half-court pressing and playing smart defense. Led by junior Jett Raines’ 24 points, the Coppell offense was then able to mount an 11 point run that turned into a 15-1 rally, leaving the Cowboys up 53-46 with roughly four minutes remaining. Warren Oishi and Hunter Robinson also had large impacts and had 10 points a piece.

From there, Coppell was able to sustain the lead by knocking down pressure free throws and staying poised against the Plano press. This Friday, the Cowboys continue their run through the playoffs against Colleyville Heritage at Irving Macarthur High School.