The North A Team entered Day 1 of the District Tournament as the 3rd seed, facing 6th seed Colleyville in the opening round. With a strong 32-19 win over the Colts, the Cougars advanced to Round 2 to take on 2nd seed West Middle School.
After falling to West by 10 points during the regular season, North knew adjustments had to be made. The coaching staff implemented a new defensive strategy, a triangle-and-2 defense, that the team had never run in a game before. Without prior practice in a live setting, the Cougars executed it flawlessly, shutting down West’s two top scorers and biggest threats.
The first quarter tested North’s resilience. A lopsided 10-2 foul count and an 8-1 scoring deficit put the Cougars in an early hole. However, they battled back in the second quarter, tightening up defensively and cutting the deficit to 13-8 at halftime.
The third quarter is where the Cougars took flight. North outscored the Wranglers 10-2, flipping the momentum and taking an 18–15 lead. The fourth quarter was intense, with multiple lead changes and back-and-forth scoring. With just under a minute remaining, West tied the game at 22–22.
That’s when Aspen Bingham delivered a clutch basket with less than 20 seconds left, giving North the lead. After forcing a turnover, the Cougars regained possession with 11 seconds remaining. A quick timeout by West allowed North to set up a stall play, and when the final buzzer sounded, the Cougars secured a thrilling 24-22 victory. From the players’ celebration, you would have thought they had just won the championship.
The win propelled North into the championship game against 1st seed Cross Timbers Middle School, an undefeated team that had defeated the Cougars by 24 points just days earlier. Once again, North relied on their triangle-and-2 defense to contain the Wolves’ two star players. The Cougars held Cross Timbers’ leading scorer to just two points in the first quarter and scoreless for the remainder of the game.
Fueled by defensive intensity and determination, North took a 14-12 lead into halftime. The second half was a battle, with both teams trading baskets and the lead changing hands several times. In the end, the Cougars fell just short, losing a hard fought championship game 29-27.
What an incredible way to close out the season. The growth, grit, and teamwork displayed by all 10 girls were nothing short of remarkable. Congratulations to Samira Augustine, Aspen Bingham, Berkley Hoerman, Suin Cho, Lillian Jarmon, Sarah Kate Baade, Breigh Holguin, Nithya Boppana, Myla Mott, and Sophia Shortino!
Your 7th grade North Cougars are the 2025-2026 District Runner-Up and North could not be more proud of what these ladies accomplished!
