Since Feb. 30 2020, Cedar Park’s girls basketball team has won 54 of 55 total games. The Timberwolves finished with a 27-1 record in 2021 and cruised to a state championship with a stifling defense that only allowed 31.3 points a game. Not much changed during the 2021-2022 season, except one less tally in the loss column.
It’s easy to quantify Cedar Park’s girls basketball success by stating that they’ve won 37 games this season, clinched back-to-back state titles, and became the first ever Austin school to lose zero games. Undefeated seasons, after all, are very common across the nation. But the Timberwolves managed to stay unbeaten longer this season than any other top 50 team in the nation. They won by double digits against a 30-win Pflugerville team and defeated several other title contenders along the way, including Duncanville, Austin, Summer Creek, Georgetown, and Liberty Hill. Defense was a recurring theme, as the Timberwolves held a whopping 16 opponents to 30 points or less in a game.
Much of the success on both offense and defense are credited to guard Gisella Maul and forward Shelby Hayes. Maul, arguably the greatest girls basketball player in the state, was a scoring machine this season, even scoring 27 of her team’s 45 points in the state championship game. However, she didn’t slack at the defensive end either. In that same title game, she grabbed 19 rebounds, helping the Timberwolves escape an overtime upset. Hayes has been the defensive hero for Cedar Park. As expected, she was a rebounding machine and used her physicality in post defense to prevent opposing teams from converting on easy layups. Her 6’2” stature is one of four players on the team taller than 6 feet. The Timberwolves’ semifinal opponent, College Station, did not even have one rostered player reach that same mark. It’s no surprise now that the Cedar Park defense has made them one of the best teams ever in Texas girls basketball history.
Despite a 54-1 record in the past two seasons, the Timberwolves have had some tough wins. This season, Cedar Park barely edged Duncanville by three after leading by six at halftime. They also struggled offensively in a 4-point win against Georgetown where they trailed by 10 at the end of the first quarter and heavily relied on a defensive second and third quarter to fuel a comeback. Most notably, however, was the state championship game, where offensive issues took center stage as the Timberwolves only scored 11 points combined in the first and fourth quarters. Once again, the defense stole the show, shutting out Memorial in the second overtime to seal a five-point title victory.
In a word, Cedar Park’s defense can be described as “clutch”. They have always pulled through in the last two seasons despite offensive struggles. Just as in several other sports, the moral has been clear for the 37-0 Timberwolves: offense wins games, but defense wins championships.
