The 2025-26 Crandall Lady Pirates girls basketball season was built on defense, resilience and a strong second-half surge that carried the team into the postseason.
Crandall opened the season in dominant fashion on Nov. 7, rolling past W.T. White 55-16. The Lady Pirates set the tone early with 17 first-quarter points and followed with 18 more in the second quarter to build a commanding halftime lead. Defensively, Crandall was outstanding, holding W.T. White to just four points in the third quarter and shutting the opponent out completely in the fourth.
The early portion of the schedule tested Crandall with several tight and competitive matchups. The Lady Pirates dropped a one-point game to Forney, 53-52, on Nov. 11, then fell to Sunnyvale 43-39 and John Paul II 53-44 on Nov. 15. Crandall also faced Southlake Carroll and Tyler during a demanding November stretch before bouncing back with a 54-30 win over Arlington Seguin on Nov. 24.
December brought more challenges, but it also revealed the Lady Pirates’ ability to respond. After losses to Mansfield Summit, Farmersville and Rockwall, Crandall caught fire in district play. The Lady Pirates defeated Corsicana 70-45 on Dec. 12, then followed with back-to-back road wins over Ennis, 57-25, and Terrell, 57-33. Those three victories gave Crandall momentum heading into the holiday tournament portion of the schedule.
The Lady Pirates continued their strong play after Christmas. On Dec. 29, Crandall defeated Mesquite Horn 46-27 and followed with a 51-47 win over Frisco Memorial later that day. The next afternoon, the Lady Pirates edged Pearland Shadow Creek 45-44 in one of their closest wins of the season. Crandall closed the tournament stretch with losses to Springdale Har-Ber and Amarillo, but the late-December run showed the team could compete in different styles of games, from defensive battles to tight finishes.
When January arrived, Crandall found its stride. The Lady Pirates opened the new year with a 34-23 win over Midlothian Heritage on Jan. 6, holding Heritage to single digits in every quarter. Crandall followed with a 49-33 win over Kaufman, then delivered one of its most impressive district performances of the season with a 64-30 victory over Midlothian on Jan. 13.
The Lady Pirates kept stacking wins. They defeated Red Oak 43-36, Corsicana 53-26 and Ennis 46-26, giving Crandall a strong district stretch built around disciplined defense. During that run, the Lady Pirates held multiple opponents under 35 points, a clear sign of the team’s defensive identity.
Crandall faced a tough overtime loss at Midlothian Heritage on Jan. 30, falling 29-25 in a low-scoring defensive battle. The Lady Pirates answered immediately on Feb. 3 with a 49-18 win over Kaufman, one of their most dominant defensive performances of the season. Crandall later dropped a close 35-32 game to Midlothian on Feb. 6, another contest that showed how narrow the margins were in district play.
The Lady Pirates carried their defensive toughness into the postseason. On Feb. 17, Crandall opened the playoffs with a strong Bi-District victory over Waco, winning 63-35. The win extended the Lady Pirates’ season and highlighted the team’s ability to rise in a win-or-go-home setting.
Crandall’s playoff run ended on Feb. 24 in the Regional Semifinal against Frisco Wakeland. The Lady Pirates fell 74-40, closing a season that included a Bi-District championship performance and a deep postseason appearance.
The 2025-26 season gave Crandall plenty to be proud of. The Lady Pirates earned key wins over W.T. White, Arlington Seguin, Corsicana, Ennis, Terrell, Mesquite Horn, Frisco Memorial, Pearland Shadow Creek, Midlothian Heritage, Kaufman, Midlothian, Red Oak and Waco. Along the way, Crandall showed the traits of a postseason team: defensive toughness, balance, resilience and the ability to respond after setbacks.
For the Lady Pirates, the season was more than a collection of wins and losses. It was a year of growth, grit and playoff success — a campaign that ended with Crandall proving it belonged among the area’s competitive girls basketball programs.
