WACO ends season at English Valleys

When the buzzer sounded on Friday night, the emotions started pouring out for the WACO girls? basketball team.

The Warriors, led by five senior starters who had played together since fourth grade, fell in the regional semifinals to English Valleys 47-36, and WACO head coach Shannon Rugg said he had one message he wanted to get out about his senior girls.

?Just how proud I am of them,? Rugg said. ?It?s been a great four years and they?ll tell you the same thing. Their sophomore year, we didn?t like each other, and where we are now is unbelievable.?

The Warriors wrapped up the season with a 16-8 record, one of their best seasons in recent memory, and two wins away from a state tournament berth.

?It?s been fun,? Rugg said. ?Only these people here know what we?ve been through. From where we were to where we are now is unbelievable. This season has been unbelievable and I?m so proud of them.?

WACO was led by senior guard Jennie Greene?s 10 points, all coming in the first half, while senior forward Aaliyah Brown had eight points for the Warriors.

The Warriors kicked off the game with a 9-7 lead after one quarter, with the help of five of Greene?s points.

English Valleys? Lauren Miller woke up in the second quarter, connecting on 11 of the next 13 points for the Bears, as a 14-2 run helped them take a 21-11 lead.

WACO closed the gap right before halftime, scoring five unanswered going into the break to make it 26-19.

The Warriors hit the first bucket of the second half, closing the gap to five, but Miller hit another 3-pointer as English Valleys withstood WACO?s charge.

That five-point deficit was the closest the Warriors would come, as English Valleys punched its ticket to the regional finals against No. 1 ranked Burlington/Notre Dame.