High School

Texas freshman high school sensation Arianna Robinson leads Plano East to thrilling second-round upset

Top Texas freshman has big fourth quarter to help knock off No. 7 South Grand Prairie

Levi Payton

Plano East freshman Arianna Robinson.
Plano East freshman Arianna Robinson. / Michael Horbovetz

One of the top freshmen in the state of Texas made her presence felt in a big way on Thursday night.

A dynamic 5-foot-10 guard, and one of three freshmen we highlighted previously with potential to become best in the state, Robinson rallied with eight points in the fourth quarter to help lead Plano East to a thrilling 48-44 upset victory over No. 7 South Grand Prairie in a UIL area-round game in Coppell.

The win sent players and fans spilling onto the court to celebrate the stunning victory. After beginning the season 9-6, the Lady Warrior entered the evening riding a 20-game winning streak after finishing as the Class 6A runner-up last season.

Arianna Robinson
Plano East freshman Arianna Robinson dribbles against the Prosper Eagles on Dec 3, 2024. / Michael Horbovetz

Robinson scored four of her final eight points in the final 1 minute, 30 seconds of the game. She broke a 40-40 tie with 84 seconds to go when she made a basket while getting fouled and completed the three-point play to make it 43-40 and later chipped in another free throw to push it to 46-42 with under 30 seconds to go.

Plano East improved to 24-12.

The win was impressive in many ways for Plano East. The Lady Warriors had been destroying opponents most of the season, outscoring opponents on the season 1,990-1,235 entering Thursday’s game and by nearly 33 points during their 20-game winning streak.

After missing out on the playoffs last season, Plano East seems to be hitting its stride again after a rough finish to the season that saw the Lady Panthers drop five of their last eight games.

Robinson, however, has played a major role in the turnaround – both now and for the program’s future. She began her career averaging 21.6 points through her first 11 games and hasn’t slowed much.

Known to scouts for years already, Robinson held an offer from Louisville before her freshman season began. That recruitment isn’t likely to slow down. She began the season as one of 25 freshmen named to the 2028 ESPN HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings espnW Watch List.

The talented freshman already has nearly 20 college offers, including Louisville, Alabama, Baylor, Texas A&M, Miami (Florida), Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Colorado State, Virginia Tech, Arizona State, North Carolina, Kentucky, UNLV, Clemson and George Mason, among others.

Robinson and Plano East will advance to face the winner of Friday’s second-round game between El Paso Franklin and Fort Worth Timber Creek.

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Levi Payton
LEVI PAYTON

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