Cypress Springs girls' basketball team aims for deep playoff run with 25-game winning streak

CYPRESS, Texas (KTRK) -- The Cypress Springs High School girls' basketball team is built for a deep playoff run.

"(The team) praises each other when they're doing well, and they pick each other up when they're not doing so well," Head Coach Taneisha Rogers said. "They're really great teammates to each other because they're friends off the court."

The Lady Panthers have won 25 games in a row. They lean on great defense, rebounding, and scoring from sophomore Jemini Mitchell and McDonald's All-American Ayla McDowell, who is one of the best players in the nation.

"You got to do it with confidence. I do everything with confidence," McDowell said.

McDowell has already signed to play basketball next year at the defending national champions, South Carolina, for Hall of Famer Dawn Staley.

"She's very straight up. She doesn't really sugarcoat anything. She doesn't sugarcoat anything at all. I mean, it's something you need in life. You need somebody to be direct with you," Mitchell said.

What's most impressive about McDowell's game is how unselfish she is. You would think that a player who averages over 25 points per game, scores over 2,000 points in her career, and grabs over 1,000 rebounds would dominate the ball on the floor.

That's not the case with McDowell-- she wants to get her teammates involved.

"My whole basketball career, I've been like that," she said. "A lot of coaches tell me I need to be more selfish with the ball. I mean, even Coach Staley (South Carolina) says the same thing, and it's just so hard to get out of it. You know, I don't always want to be like a ball hog or, you know, take so many shots. I just always want to get my teammates involved, and it's just who I am as a person."

Up next for Cy Springs, DeSoto, Tuesday night in the 6A Division II playoffs. Lady Panthers looking to win and move on.

"Three, one, two, five, three. One, two, five. State champs, baby", Coach Rogers said.

Three, one, two, five is the day the Lady Panthers plan to lift the State Championship Trophy.