DeSoto rolls past Mansfield Timberview in battle of top-five teams

By Josh Bowe

Special to the Star-Telegram

MANSFIELD -- In a showdown between two of the state's best Class 5A boys basketball teams, DeSoto's size and length were too much for Mansfield Timberview on Friday night.

The No. 1 ranked Eagles pounded the ball inside and beat the No. 4 Wolves 68-50 at Timberview High School. Matt Jones led DeSoto with 18 points.

"I thought our guys did a good job inside," DeSoto coach Chris Dyer said. "Our guys inside did a good job handling the ball."

DeSoto (20-1, 3-0 in District 7-5A) started the game off with three quick scores inside to set the tone. Forward Terry Maston scored six points in the first quarter -- all layups -- and the Eagles led 19-11 after the first quarter.

Timberview (19-2, 2-1) had trouble scoring throughout the game, bothered by DeSoto's length. The Wolves had to take more jumpers, with senior forward Cornelius Hudson (team-high 13 points) leading Timberview with two 3-pointers and scoring 11 first-half points. DeSoto still led 31-21 at halftime.

In the second half, the Eagles controlled the boards. When it seemed the Wolves were getting back into the game, DeSoto grabbed an offensive rebound and scored.

"That's something we don't have," Timberview coach Duane Gregory said of DeSoto's size. "There are ways of combating that, and we can do much better than we did tonight."

DeSoto guards Takedrick Brown and Jones took over in the third quarter by combining to score DeSoto's first six points of the second half. The Eagles led 37-23 and never relinquished their double-digit lead.

With 4:01 to play, a technical foul was called on Timberview. Brown's four free throws put DeSoto up 60-39, ending a possible Timberview comeback.

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