Dunbar boys top Polytechnic to win District 6-4A

By Matthew Martinez

Special To The Star-Telegram

Fort Worth Dunbar pulled away from Fort Worth Polytechnic down the stretch on Tuesday at Billingsley Field House to officially claim the District 6-4A title. The Wildcats' 84-68 victory set up a first-round playoff matchup against White Settlement Brewer.

Dunbar (20-9, 15-1) will face White Settlement Brewer on Tuesday in the bi-district round of the Class 4A playoffs at Saginaw Chisholm Trail High at 7 p.m.

But the Parrots' playoff picture is not as clear. Polytechnic (17-13, 12-4) coach Charles Hickman said that Poly and Saginaw Boswell (19-9, 12-4) had not yet decided whether to have a play-in game or to flip a coin to decide the second and third seeds in the district.

Tuesday night the Parrots gave way to what was a relentless attack from Dunbar. Poly forward Fred Carter finished a fast break with a layup midway through the first quarter to put the Parrots up 11-3, but Dunbar snatched the lead on seven quick points from Logan Ray.

"When the game is an up-and-down game, it benefits us," Dunbar coach Robert Hughes Jr. said. "We didn't always execute, but we did enough to win."

After Ray's steal in the backcourt and conversion for a layup, the Wildcats were up 13-11 and never surrendered the lead again.

Ray finished with nine points for Dunbar, while the backcourt tandem of Da'Lante Brooks and Dan Harris paced the Wildcats, combining for 42 points. Brooks had 23 points, five 3-pointers and five steals. Harris added 19 points. .

Forward Chris Fisher led Poly with 19 points. Carter and Miguel Morales added nine apiece, but the Parrots couldn't battle back from a 14 point deficit late.

"We're not a team that can win the up and down game," Hickman said. "That whole game, we only ran two [plays], and that's not going to get it done for us."

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