Region IV-3A final: Aransas Pass' Jocelyn Cole nets 25 in season-ending loss to Columbus
SEGUIN — Jocelyn Cole was emotional after walking off the court for the final time in an Aransas Pass uniform on Saturday.
But even with her high school career coming to a close following a 61-44 loss to Columbus in the Region IV-3A final, the senior sharpshooter still managed to keep her head up when reflecting back on what she and the Panthers accomplished during the last two seasons.
"I'm just thinking about the great memories me and my team had," Cole said. "We had great memories with our coach and we were treated really well this season. We exceeded expectations and I'm very happy that my team did that."
The Panthers, who knocked off state-ranked San Antonio Cole on Friday night, concluded their season at 23-16 after advancing to the regional tournament for the second consecutive season and the regional final for the second time in program history.
Columbus advances back to the UIL Class 3A state semifinal scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
"It hurts but the kids gave it all they had," Aransas Pass coach Chris Bentley said. "They did everything I asked and I gave them my all. It just wasn't in the cards. Columbus came out and hit some shots, and we couldn't stop them."
Cole had a final high school game to remember after finishing with a game-best 25 points, including 19 in the first quarter to set the tone for the Panthers.
Columbus took an early 10-3 lead before Cole went on a personal 8-0 run to give the Panthers the lead back. The Cardinals recaptured the lead for good after answering with a 10-0 run to end the first half and outscored the Panthers 29-22 in the final two quarters to secure the win.
"I was very proud with how we came out," Cole said. "I told my teammates we just had to push through and that it was going to be hard game. No matter what comes to keep our heads up."
Even with Cole's hot hand and Aransas Pass keeping pace with the Cardinals for three quarters, the hot 3-point shooting by Columbus proved to be the difference down the stretch.
Freshman Anaya Gardner finished with seven of the Cardinals' 13 3-pointers to finish with a team-best 23 points.
Senior Melanie Castillo added four 3-pointers to finish with 13 points and Miranda Flores and Elora Pierre combined for seven for the rest of the Panthers' scoring.
"It means a lot since this is the second time we've advanced to the regional finals," Castillo said. "I knew I had to help my team the best I could and we all tried our best. It wasn't in our favor this year."
Castillo and Cole were two of five seniors playing their final high school game on Saturday. Bentley's team is set to return four underclassmen next season.
Aransas Pass will remain in District 29-3A with the addition of London and West Oso, which are also coming off appearances in the regional tournament.
"It sets the bar higher for these younger kids who play during the spring and the summer," Bentley said. "They'll get ready for next year to get back to the same place or even further."
More: UIL Girls Basketball Playoffs: Here's how Bishop and West Oso fared in the regional semifinals
More: Girls regional tournament recap for Corpus Christi and Coastal Bend basketball
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Aransas Pass' strong 2024 campaign comes to a close with loss to Columbus
