Cedar Park girls basketball proving themselves right

CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) - Even though the Cedar Park girls basketball team won the state championship two and three years ago, getting back to the state tournament this season has been unexpected for a lot of people. It just hasn't surprised anyone inside the program.

"I do feel like we were underrated this season," said Cedar Park head coach Kami Williamson. "I feel like people have counted us out and I feel like we kind of carry that underdog story."

The Timberwolves carry that story to the state tournament in San Antonio with a matchup with the top-ranked team in Class 5A, Mansfield Timberview. Again, Cedar Park won't be expected to win, but they don't mind.

"The underdog thing for us is kind of empowering," senior guard Avery Allmer said. "It makes us feel excited and we want to go and prove everybody wrong."

How Cedar Park got to the state semifinal is incredible in and of itself. They finished third in their district but beat both of the teams ahead of them in the postseason — Liberty Hill and Glenn.

In the regional final against No. 7 Glenn, Cedar Park was down three with under 10 seconds to go. They put the ball in the hands of junior guard Hope Edwards who banked in a three off the backboard at the buzzer to force overtime.

"She said she didn't think it was going in," said Allmer about the triple. "But then everybody on the court and everybody on the bench thought it was going in off the bank."

To hit a shot of that magnitude off glass begs the question if the junior called her shot with the bank.

"I knew it was right on the line but I didn't know if it was just going straight in or backboard," said Edwards. "But I saw it going up hoping it hit backboard and went in."

The Timberwolves will face Mansfield Timberview in the Class 5A semifinals at 8:30 p.m. Thursday in the Alamodome.