Jay Neal
Jacksonville Progress
JACKSONVILLE —
BULLARD — The numbers don’t lie when it comes to evaluating Minta Spears’ basketball expertise.
One hundred and fifth young ladies, in Classes 1A-5A, were named to the Texas Girls Coaching Association’s 2009-10 All-State Basketball team on Tuesday with just 18 of those players being sophomores.
Bullard’s Spears is one of those 18 phenoms.
Spears led the Lady Panthers in three statistical categories this year — points per game (13.9), steal per game (4.9) and blocks per game (1.9).
She had an vital role in the Lady Panthers’ 59-51 upset of then No. 6-ranked Bryan Rudder in the Region III semi-final on Feb. 26 in Huntsville. Spears scoreda game-best 23 points that day, including sinking four attempts from beyond the arc.
Spears also helped Bullard post its best record (30-9) in modern history — the Lady Panthers eventually lost to Madisonville, 64-37, in the regional final.
Spears, labeled a “gym rat”, for the countless hours she spends improving her already stellar basketball skills is projected by many to be a solid NCAA Divison I prospect.
