Future begins now for Lady Raiders

Just over a week ago, the L.D. Bell Lady Raiders were a young basketball team getting valuable playoff experience.

Now, they are a team heading into the offseason with four returning starters and a roster full of players who have played in the postseason.

“They have experience and see what it’s like to play at a higher level,” said Lady Raiders coach Brock Pembleton. “Even being on the bench and preparing for that game makes a big difference with them. They’re more prepared now.”

The Lady Raiders finished 17-15, losing in bidistrict to Duncanville, the fourth consecutive year they’ve been eliminated by the Pantherettes (twice in bidistrict, once in the second round, once in the regional final). The final score was 63-37, but Bell was within four points in the third quarter, something Pembleton said is important for his players to remember.

“They didn’t back down from them,” Pembleton said of his team. “We were right there with them for quite a while.”

Duncanville, which entered the game ranked sixth in Class 6A by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, won state in 2012 and 2013, along with finishing second last season.

The Lady Raiders began the 2014-2015 season with one returning starter, 6-foot sophomore Lexi Gordon. One of the top players in the Fort Worth area, she averaged 22.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.1 steals.

The Lady Raiders’ roster consisted of three seniors, two juniors, two sophomores and three freshmen.

“It was extremely important for us to get back to the playoffs,” said 5-9 freshman Aretha Nash. “And for us to play Duncanville that good says a lot about what we are capable of. I’m really excited about next season. We have experience now, and we just have to put it to work.”

Assuming those returning starters remain as such, Gordon will be in her third season in the starting lineup, while sophomore Tiana Johnson and juniors Alexis Baston and Tatyanna Bradley will be entering their second season as starters. Baston was a valuable addition as a move-in from Corsicana, averaging 8.8 points, and Bradley, despite being hampered by an injured knee, played a key role in a fourth straight playoff appearance.

Pembleton said Bradley is having surgery on the knee and will hopefully return at full strength next season. He is excited about the potential of that news.

“It was frustrating, but she stuck it out,” he said. “Once she gets that knee fixed, she’ll be a big asset to us.”

Pembleton said one of the expectations that comes with the experience of this season is additional scoring. Gordon carried the bulk of the load by almost three times the amount of the team’s next highest scorer.

“Other players have to step up and be a scorer,” he said. “If Lexi’s numbers drop, but we’re winning, she’s fine with that.

“I think we have some players who can do that. Alexis did that a number of times this season.”

Not only did the Lady Raiders return to the playoffs, they did so competing against a grueling schedule. In the process, they overcame a 1-5 start to the season.

“Being able to play at this higher level really helped me develop my game,” said freshman Lauren Cuevas. “My first year and playing that kind of competition only made me better, made us better.

“Even just watching made me better.”

Fellow freshman Mya Thompson added, “It made me so much smarter in a basketball sense being on the varsity this season, even though I wasn’t on the floor all the time.”

Now, if everything goes according to plan, games that slipped away from the Lady Raiders could very well turn into victories next season. At least that’s the hope, Pembleton said.

“With four starters back, expectations will be a lot higher,” he said. “We know that. We have to be prepared.”

This story was originally published February 23, 2015 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Future begins now for Lady Raiders."