Trimble Tech boys stay perfect in 6-4A with 91-74 rout of Southwest
By: By Greg Bogomol
With the season winding down and playoff spots on the line, Fort Worth Trimble Tech knows it's going to get the best out of its opponents.
That's fine with coach Wendell Ivory, as his Bulldogs weathered one Fort Worth Southwest run after another in Tuesday's 91-74 District 6-4A win at Billingsley Field House.
"At this stage of the season we have a bull's-eye on our back," Ivory said. "That is good though, because it's going to get us going to get in that playoff mode."
Southwest, which entered the game in a third-place tie with Wyatt in District 6-4A, hit four of its first five shots to jump out to a 9-0 lead. Jordan Boone, who finished with a team-high 19 points, scored five of them as the Raiders (17-10, 10-5) led 24-16 after the first quarter.
Trimble Tech fought back with a 12-3 run to grab its first lead at 31-30 on a pair of free throws from Brandon Jackson. Jackson, who finished with 13 points, had six during the run.
The Bulldogs (20-4, 15-0), ranked No. 3 in the latest TABC Class 4A state poll, took a four-point cushion into halftime.
Charles Hill, who had a game-high 25 points, opened the third quarter with a dunk, but the teams traded baskets and Southwest cut the lead to four a Boone 3-pointer.
Tech responded with an 11-2 run and opened a 59-46 lead with just over three minutes left in the third.
Trailing 67-57 after three, Southwest made one last run, cutting the lead to six with 7:03 to play, but the Bulldogs went on an 8-0 run to increase the lead to 75-61. Jai Deng scored six of his 23 points during the run.
"It was far from our best defensive performance of the year, but part of that is due to Southwest," Ivory said. "When you play an untraditional team like them you're going to get some open looks and things are going to move at a faster pace."