The Maiden basketball team is ranked fifth in the state and finished district on Tuesday with a 10-0 record after defeating Monahans, 103-12.The Maidens had an overall record of 28-4 and will face Pampa in bi-district at 6 p.m. on Feb. 12 at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview.
Pampa comes from one of the toughest districts in the region.
“We have quality teams in Region 1,” Coach Tri Danley said. “There is no doubt.”
The Maidens beat district opponents by an average of 75 points per game. While the district doesn’t provide a great deal of competition, Danley said practices had to make up for it.
“We challenge our players in practice,” Danley said. “We set goals–we prepare the same. It does not matter who we are playing next.”
The Maiden team has been underclassman-heavy all season.
“We anticipated having three to five freshmen on our team; therefore, we have spent a lot of time over this past summer practicing and playing games,” Danley said. “Being a freshman is no longer an excuse for us.”
With five freshmen and two sophomores on the team for the play offs, three seniors have played dual roles as leaders and mentors. One of those seniors, guard Londyn Shain, recently passesd the 2,500-point mark in her high school career.
“Londyn Shain has been the backbone for our basketball program for the last five years,” Danley said. “Even as an eighth grader, I knew she was special.”
Danley said Shain remains after practice at night working on her shooting form.
Not only was Shain putting in extra hours, but she was also a great leader to the freshmen.
“That is something that all the younger athletes see in our system, ”Danley said. “There has to be extra time put in, and she has done that.”
Danley said Shain doesn’t want the accolades as much as she wants the big prize.
“What makes Londyn special is she would probably trade all the points, awards and recognitions for a chance at a state tournament appearance, ”Danley said. “She is truly a coach’s dream to work with, and she knows she can’t do it without her teammates.”
The Maidens feel the pressure of a community that expects them to succeed.
“Everybody expects us to make it to state this year,” senior forward Tatum Medlin said. “If we don’t, we will feel like failures.”
Shain sees the season as a last chance.
“There is a lot of pressure because I think this year is our best team talent-wise,” Shain said. “People in the community think that we can get there, so there is a lot of pressure for us to live up to that.”
Danley, who has taken three teams to state including back to back state championships with Wylie, saw the pressure as more team-imposed.
“I would say the pressure of getting to the state tournament is all personal and within the team,” Danley said. “Getting to the state tournament in basketball is a dream. It is like winning the lottery except you have to work for it.”
The Maiden goal is to be the first Maiden basketball team to make it to state.
“Being the first girls basketball team from Seminole High School to get to a state tournament would certainly be a huge accomplishment for our program,” Danley said, “but we do have a long way to go, and we would have to get lucky here and there.”
