Fort Worth Dunbar girls basketball playing to get back on top

by Sonya Grogg

Southlake Carroll makes winning state championships look easy, but the Forth Worth Dunbar girls basketball team knows defending a title is hard.

The Lady Wildcats won the 4A championship two years ago. Last year, a possible title defense was dashed by Waxahachie, who went on to win the title, in the semifinals. This season is a different one, and Dunbar is back on top of 4A basketball, according to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches rankings.

An important link to the championship still remains. Brooklyn Pope is a dominant force in Texas basketball, but her post play transcends her into the national spotlight. HoopGurlz.com Pope's 6-foot-2 frame places her as a Top 5 recruit and the best prospect at forward for the 2008 class.

Dunbar wants to make it back to the title game. One way to do that is a tougher regular season schedule. The Lady Wildcats have played five games against 5A teams that are all ranked in the top 10 in Texas. The results are mixed, Dunbar's only win coming against Duncanville. Over the weekend, the team participated in the Mansfield Rotary Invitational . Dunbar was easily handled by Mansfield Summit in the championship game. Pope, the MVP of last year's tournament, was held to 10 points. On the season, she's averaging 20.9 points and 10.6 rebounds.

Pope and the team will put the weekend's scores behind, but the tough competition should help them in upcoming league play and the road back to the state championship.