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Close again: Lobos fall just short during postseason run
BY Chris O’Dell, codell@starlocalnews.com
One year ago, the Little Elm boys basketball team lost a 61-59 playoff meeting with Denton Ryan, a team it had beat twice during the regular season.
The Lobos then watched Ryan march to the state tournament after going home with a feeling of what could have been.
Fast forward to 2013 and the Lobos might have a similar feeling after dropping a 74-71 double overtime thriller to Woodrow Wilson in the area round of the playoffs before seeing McKinney North, a team Little Elm went 2-0 against during the regular season, advance to the regional semifinals.
Little Elm’s season began with a short-handed team that was missing the likes of seniors Devante’ Pullum, Biron Joseph, Shaun Grant and Cardell Best. Senior Jalen Bridges shouldered the load in the early going and emerged as one of the team’s go-to players for a majority of the season.
“The biggest transformation was [Bridges] not having to take a backseat role when everyone got back,” Segler said.
Despite a short-handed team, the Lobos won six of their first nine games with Bridges leading the charge. The team then got a shot in the arm with the debuts of Pullum and Joseph.
“We didn’t expect a slow start,” Segler said, “but we felt like it could happen.”
The Lobos defeated Class 5A Allen in Joseph’s first game of the season, after the senior regained eligibility following a short transfer. Little Elm then hit its stride and used a balanced offensive attack that featured four players averaging in double figures for a majority of the season. Pullum, Joseph, Bridges and Grant led that attack to help form the top offense in the district.
That allowed the Lobos to make a smooth transition to a tougher District 9-4A with teams from Frisco ISD, Prosper and The Colony.
“We knew there was going to be no sleep in this district,” Segler said. “Prosper only won two games in our district and those were two of our tougher games all season.”
The Lobos marched to a 12-2 mark against district counterparts, with losses to The Colony and Wakeland as the only hiccups before the start of the postseason.
“[Wakeland] just played the most fantastic game I’ve seen a team play,” Segler said.
The 12-2 mark allowed Little Elm to repeat as district champs and enter the postseason as the No. 1 seed. That matched the team with North Forney in the bi-district round of the playoffs, with the Lobos cruising to a 74-50 victory.
Next up for Little Elm was the oversized Woodrow Wilson, a team that featured five players standing at least 6-foot-7.
“My guys went in there knowing we could beat [Wilson],” Segler said. “They had no fear.”
The two teams played a back-and-forth affair before Wilson prevailed in double overtime, despite a game-high 34 points from Pullum.
“From the first quarter, I could see it in [Pullum’s] eyes,” Segler said. “He has the ability, athleticism and confidence to take over a game.”
The loss dropped the team’s final record to 24-8, with Pullum earning District 9-4A MVP honor after averaging nearly 18 points and eight assists per game.
“[Pullum] was the best player on my team, there’s no question,” Segler said. “He played better this year than he’s ever played.”
Bridges and Joseph each landed on the first team and make up a senior-heavy class that will be difficult to replace.
“It’s going to be extremely tough,” Segler said. “It happens to every coach tough. You wish you could have those guys forever.”
In addition to Pullum, Joseph, Bridges and Grant, the Lobos will also lose seniors Michael Abney and Chris Gillard. Headlining the group of returners in 2013-14 will be Best and junior guard Kortny Ealy.
“We’re going to find out the character of the kids coming back,” Segler said. “We’ve come a long way and hopefully we can keep it going.”
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