Hope slips away late for Lady Chargers

SAN ANTONIO — Fulshear’s gritty work for three quarters didn’t offer a clue of what would happen in the fourth quarter of a Class 5A state semifinal girls basketball game Thursday night.

Trailing by only one entering the final period, Fulshear saw Lubbock Cooper score the next 14 points to pull away for a 70-52 win at the Alamodome.

The win sends the Lady Pirates (31-6) into the 5A title game against Frisco Liberty at 3 p.m. Saturday.

Fulshear (33-6) saw a 17game win streak and a stellar season come to an end.

Cooper senior guard Peyton North scored 12 points in that 14-0 flurry, and all came on layups as the Lady Pirates spread the floor and managed to drive in for uncontested baskets.

“I thought we came out in the second half just a little bit flat,” Fulshear coach

D’Shanna Brown said.

“Overall, fatigue kind of set in. They did a really good job of rotating their subs in and being a little more patient on offense and seeing where they could break us down.”

North scored 10 of the first 12 points in that run, which opened a 62-48 lead with 3:15 left in the game.

The Lady Pirates would score two more layups and make all four of their free throws in the closing time as Cooper eventually outscored Fulshear, 24-7, in the final eight minutes.

North finished with a game-high 31 points, shooting 12-of-16 from the field.

Fulshear was led by Kimora Lopez’s 18 points.

“Kimora has had a special few games for us,” Brown said. “She’s really bought into her role.”

Cooper led 29-26 at halftime in a matchup in which neither team held more than a 3-point lead in the opening two quarters.

The Lady Pirates shot 9of-24 in the first half while Fulshear shot 10-of-34.

Cooper coach Kyle Lovorn expected the type of game his team received from the Lady Chargers.

“Hats off to Fulshear — they’re an incredible team,” Lovorn said. “They were really playing well at the right time in the playoffs. We knew it would be a tough game.”