Photo: Flower Mound 2027 Maci Pringle is introduced before playing North Little Rock
BY BRIAN GOSSET
MANSFIELD – Flower Mound trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half and came back to tie North Little Rock out of Arkansas, but the Jaguars couldn’t complete the comeback, falling 55-45 on Tuesday during the quarterfinal round of the Mansfield ISD Spring Creek BBQ Invitational.
Lorelei Ebert led the Jags with 17 points off five 3-pointers.
Brooklyn Gray added 10 while star 2027 Maci Pringle was held to seven points.
The Jags (16-3), who came into the game ranked #22 in the 6A poll by the TABC, led 14-13 in the first quarter off three 3-pointers by Ebert and Gray combined, but the Wildcats answered with 12 straight points.
NLR led 20-14 after the opening period.
The lead grew to 25-13 before another three from Ebert stopped the run with 4:40 left in the second quarter. Flower Mound trimmed the deficit to 29-24, but the Wildcats scored the next five points to go up 34-24 at the intermission. Lauren Brewster made a three from the top of the key that beat the buzzer.
A three from Sydeny Ziegenhorn pulled FM within seven and then the Jags got two more threes from Ebert and Emily Tran to make it 37-33 midway through the third quarter. Gray got the steal and assisted on a bucket from Pringle with 2:57 left in the period. Pringle’s layup tied it at 37-37.
But Flower Mound never regained the lead.
NLR scored eight of the next nine to grab a 45-38 lead. Ebert hit her fifth 3-pointer to get her team back within 45-41. The Wildcats led 49-41 with two minutes remaining.
Pringle is a 6-1 junior forward and reigning District 5-6A MVP. She already has offers from some of the best programs in the country. Along with seven points, Pringle finished with 10 rebounds, two assists, one steal and three blocks, but fouled out in the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats were led by three players in double figures: Katie Fimple (11), Brewster (10) and Mia Hopkins (10).
