FW Trimble Tech boys eliminate Aledo, 61-39

By Greg Bogomol

Special to the Star-Telegram

HALTOM CITY -- Looking for a spark to shake off a pesky Aledo squad, it was Damarian Gipson that stepped up.

The senior put back a missed shot and then drained a 3-pointer to end the third quarter, turning a two-point lead into a 35-27 cushion after three quarters.

That turn of events helped propel Fort Worth Trimble Tech (27-4), No. 3 in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches State Poll, to a 61-39 Class 4A region I bi-district win at Thomas Coliseum.

"That's what he [Damarian] does," Trimble Tech coach Wendell Ivory said. "He's a shooter and when the defense loosens up, he can hit shots."

The Bulldogs, led by Charles Hill's 17 points, advance to meet Mansfield Summit in the area round.

Gipson's 3 at the end of the third ended a string of 13 consecutive misses from behind the arc for the Bulldogs. They also made just 20 of 32 from the free throw line.

"In the playoffs you're just happy to get a win," Ivory said. "We were getting good looks at the basket we just couldn't make anything. We couldn't even hit a wide open free throw there in the first half."

Matt Bishop, who led Aledo with 14 points, tied the score at 23-23 on the first possession of the third quarter. Aledo (20-11), making its first trip to the playoffs in four years, cut the lead to two with 2:10 left in the third, but that was as close as the Bearcats would get.

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