When UConn came calling, L.D. Bell star was ready to commit
As a young girl involved in basketball 24/7, odds are Connecticut is the dream school to play by the time you’re ready for college.
The Huskies have won 10 NCAA titles, including the past three, all with coach Geno Auriemma.
It takes a special kid to play for Connecticut and the fact that they saw that in me made me confident in myself that I had what it took.
Hurst L.D. Bell star Lexi Gordon
Hurst L.D. Bell junior forward Lexi Gordon got that opportunity when the school offered her a scholarship last month.
“My emotions when Coach Auriemma offered were just ecstatic, and kind of taken aback. It takes a special kid to play for Connecticut and the fact that they saw that in me made me confident in myself that I had what it took,” Gordon said.
UConn was one of Gordon’s final four picks when she announced her commitment to play last Friday.
“I love what UConn is all about, their culture, and interactions within the team,” she said. “I love how tight knit they are. I feel like Coach Auriemma will push me and shape me into the best basketball player and person I can possibly be.”
Gordon said she would announce her commitment at the conclusion of Bell’s high school season, which ended last week in the Class 6A bi-district round against South Grand Prairie.
“Growing up for me it’s always been basketball. Of course UConn has always been a program that’s been successful and that I’ve watched ever since I was a kid,” she said.
Already the school’s all-time scoring leader with 1,899 points, Gordon finished her junior campaign with 767 points in 31 games, a 24.7 average. She also averaged 9.4 rebounds.
Familiar face
When the Aledo girls face Birdville on Tuesday, two former collegues and friends for 15 years, will square off in a Class 5A Region I quarterfinal game.
Aledo’s Mike Pinkerton and Birdville’s Amy Ingram worked together and first met in 2001 when Pinkerton was a football and track coach at Mansfield High School. Ingram was in her third year coaching at Howard Middle School in Mansfield.
“Mike is a great guy and the middle school coaches helped with the high school track meets. We stayed in touch along the various places we both worked,” Ingram said.
Aledo looks for its first regional tournament in three years. Birdville is already in its deepest playoff run in program history.
“It’s kind of like coming home,” Ingram said. “Mike is a hard worker who’s done a great job at Aledo and I’m happy for all the success he’s having this year.”
Breaking the tie
Euless Trinity needed Derrick Guinn’s buzzer-beater Friday to beat Hurst L.D. Bell and clinch the final playoff spot in District 7-6A, but boys teams Fort Worth Polytechnic and Weatherford broke their fourth-place ties another way.
Poly (5-15) defeated Fort Worth Eastern Hills 61-50 on Feb. 16 to clinch the fourth seed in 6-5A.
Poly had to win while idle fellow fourth-place Lake Dallas sat back and watched. Poly earned a berth after its season sweep of Lake Dallas. It’s the Parrots’ second straight postseason appearance and third in the past four years.
Meanwhile, Weatherford is in the postseason for the first time since 2008.
The Kangaroos (13-17) finished in a three-way tie for fourth in 4-6A with Arlington Lamar and Arlington Sam Houston. Weatherford swept the season series against both schools to clinch a berth.
Worthy first-rounders
Crowley (21-9) vs FW Trimble Tech (10-16), Tuesday 7 p.m. at Mansfield Legacy: The Crowley Eagles were the outright 8-5A champions led by Wyatt Beene, but even though this is a 1 vs. 4 match, don’t let Trimble Tech’s record fool anyone as the Bulldogs had to forfeit some games after they were right there for the 7-5A title.
FW Southwest (18-9) vs Granbury (13-17), Tuesday 6:30 p.m. at North Crowley: Another 1 vs. 4 match between 7-5A champ Southwest, which won its first district title since 2008, and Granbury. Players to watch will be Southwest’s Jalen Daniels and Granbury’s Eric Kirchner. Southwest looks for its first playoff win since 2012. Granbury hasn’t won one since 2000.
Arlington Martin (24-6) vs San Angelo Central (21-11), Tuesday 6 p.m. at Brownwood: The Warriors finished second in 4-6A behind seniors Kam Malbrough and Conner Lidiak, who is shooting 38 percent from the 3-point line. Martin looks for its second straight bi-district title and fifth in six years.
This story was originally published February 22, 2016 at 4:35 PM with the headline "When UConn came calling, L.D. Bell star was ready to commit."