Mansfield Timberview, Brock and Lake Country Christian look to win state titles

With two more wins each, a trio of area girls basketball teams will accomplish goals set out in November: win a state title.

The UIL tournament gets underway, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Thursday with semifinals for Class 5A Mansfield Timberview and 3A Brock. State finals are Saturday.

TAPPS semifinal games are also Thursday and Friday throughout the Waco area. Class 4A Lake Country Christian seeks its first title since winning the 3A crown in 2016.

UIL Class 5A

Semifinals: Timberview (39-2) vs. Kerrville Tivy (33-6), 7 p.m. Thursday; Amarillo (38-2) vs. Temple (31-5), 8:30 p.m. Thursday

Final: 3 p.m. Saturday

Timberview: The Wolves are at state for a fourth time. Timberview has been the No. 1 5A team in the state for most of the season. Back at the Alamodome for the second straight season, Timberview will attempt to win gold after falling short to Canyon by two points in last year's final. Last week, the Wolves won the Region II tournament over Frisco Lone Star and Mansfield Summit by a combined 35 points. Winners of the past 32 games, Timberview's defense is allowing 42 points per game — 31 in five playoff games.

Tivy: This school is only about an hour from San Antonio, so expect the Antlers to have plenty of fans. Tivy's last team at stat was in 2006. This time, they won the Region IV tournament, 48-34 versus Corpus Christi Veterans Memorial and 58-40 vs. CC Flour Bluff.

Amarillo: The Sandies, ranked No. 4 in the state., also ended a drought by clinching their first trip to state since 1996. Amarillo won state titles in 1993 and 1994. The Sandies upset four-time champion Canyon in the Region I final, 34-27. Amarillo, which has won the past 18 games, is winning by an average margin of 30 points per game.

Temple: The No. 8 Wildcats defeated Crosby 60-40 in the Region III final to clinch their first shot at a state title. They upset No. 2 Barbers Hill 78-74 in their first regional semifinal game since 1997.

UIL Class 3A

Semifinals: Vanderbilt Industrial (34-5) vs. Marlin (31-8), 1:30 p.m. Thursday; Brock (32-6) vs. Mount Vernon (26-9), 3 p.m. Thursday

Final: 10 a.m. Saturday

Brock: At the state tournament for the 22nd time, fourth all-time to Canyon (26), Nazareth (26) and Duncanville (24). The Eagles seek a ninth title, and their first since five consecutive 2A championships from 2009 to 2013. Brock won its last three games by an average of seven points. Brock won Region I, 39-33 versus Lubbock Roosevelt and 42-31 against Colorado City. College signees Rylee Lavender (Ouachita Baptist) and Mia Cherry (Oklahoma Baptist) lead the Eagles.

Mount Vernon: The Tigers return to the state tournament after falling to Buffalo 50-43 in last year's semifinal They've won 11 straight games, seven of which by 20 or more points.

Vanderbilt Industrial: The first 3A state semifinal game will feature teams in their first state tournament. The Cobras won Region IV, 42-25 vs.. George West and 28-26 vs. Odem. Industrial, which allows 30 points per game, has won 19 consecutive games.

Marlin: The Bulldogs have won 16 in a row after winning the Region III final vs. Grandview 59-54. Junior Mystique Womack is averaging 26. 1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.3 steals per game.

TAPPS 4A

Semifinals: Lake Country Christian (32-8) vs. Lubbock Christian (30-10), 9 a.m. Friday, Waco University HS; Austin Texas for Deaf (28-8) vs. Austin Brentwood Christian (31-11), 11 a.m. Friday, Waco University HS

Final: 11 a.m. Saturday, West HS

Lake Country: The Eagles are in the Final Four for the 11th time, ninth since 2003. Junior Morgan Campbell averages a team-high 15.4 points per game. Senior McKenna Whites adds 12.4 points. Junior Maddie Cawley has recorded 25 double-doubles, seven triple-doubles this season.

Lubbock Christian: Looking for an 11th TAPPS state title, the Eagles have won their past four games by an average margin of 33 points. Lake Country won the last meeting 50-47 on Feb. 27, 2016.

Brentwood: The Bears won state title's in 2013 and 2014. They added a Final Four trip in 2012.

Texas for Deaf: The Rangers have been in the playoffs six consecutive seasons and finished in the regional round in 2017.

This story was originally published February 28, 2018 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Mansfield Timberview, Brock and Lake Country Christian look to win state titles."