Coming out of a challenging run of games in the Frisco tournament and picking up a 44-42 win against McKinney on Tuesday, the Lady Farmers [5-3] are preparing for this weekend’s Allen tournament.

The team opens tournament play today with a tough matchup against Irving McArthur [2-1], ranked 19th in the state in class 5A according to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.

At the Frisco tournament, the Lady Farmers learned that a lot of what they need to work on is the mental game and their defense, head coach Charlotte Jones said.

Coming into this week’s tournament, the girls have been working on defense and teamwork. During practices they have been put into real game situations to get them ready for the next game.

“By us coming together [as a team] it helps us connect with each other on the court,” senior Elizabeth Simon said.

In the Frisco tournament, the teams that defeated the Lady Farmers all got big leads in the 2nd and 3rd quarters.

“We explained how important it is it play hard like you do in the 3rd and 4th quarter,” Jones said. “You’ve got to start every game like that, you can’t wait until you’re down by 10 or 15 points and play catch up. “

Unlike last year which began with several key players injured, this year’s team has been working together since day one, giving the players the opportunity to build their team chemistry. This also helps coach Jones decide who makes up a solid starting team.

“We try to encourage them and let them know what a great team they are because they really have a lot of potential,” Jones said.

Senior Monisha Neal scored 20 points to lead the team against McKinney, including four 3-pointers. She scored 17 of those points in the second half. Sophomore Naomi Hawkins added 10 points in the win.