Southwest Christian girls go back-to-back in winning TAPPS 5A state championship

Fort Worth Southwest Christian School guard Ariele Rosborough scored a game-high 20 points and her twin sister Arieona added 16 more as the the Lady Eagles completed their quest to win back-to-back state basketball titles in a 54-40 victory over Houston Second Baptist in the TAPPS Class 5A Championship on Friday night at College Station High School.

“I feel really good about it because the girls have wanted it all year,” said Southwest Christian coach Larry Menendez, Jr. who is not only coach, but also stepfather to Ariele and Arieona, both seniors. “It’s emotional for me because my girls, my twins, they’ve been fighting.

“They work very, very, very hard and they push the other girls. The other girls see how hard that they want it and they join right on in with them so it means a lot.”

Southwest Christian (25-1), the top-ranked Class 5A private school team defeated No. 4 Second Baptist, 73-63, last season in the title game. SCS’s only loss this season came at the hands of Argyle Liberty Christian, a TAPPS Class 6A state semifinalist.

Southwest jumped out to a quick 6-1 lead on baskets by Ariele Rosborough, Haylee Davis and Arieona Rosborough and led 12-3 after Dayton Flowers drilled a three-pointer with 4:55 left in the first quarter.

SCS never trailed in the game and the 23-9 lead at the end of the first quarter proved big.

Second Baptist (22-8) opened the second quarter with a 6-0 run to cut the lead to 23-15. Olivia Walker had consecutive steals and 10-foot jumpers to start the spree.

But Southwest Christian answered with six in a row of its own to build the lead back to 14 with 3:59 left in the second quarter.

Second Baptist found a chink in Southwest’s armor at the half going on a 10-2 run to open the third quarter. Kate Marshall, who led SB with 15 points and 12 rebounds, scored eight straight points at point blank range, three on assists by Ella Ryan.

Another basket by Olivia Sauvageau, who added 11 points for Second Baptist, cut the SCS lead to 38-33 with 4:15 left in the third.

“I knew that they were going to make a comeback,” said Ariele Rosborough. “Coming in from a loss to us last year is hard and I knew that they were going to be hungry to beat our team so I was not going to let that happen.”

And the Rosborough sisters made sure it didn’t happen.

From that point, Arieona scored six points, had six rebounds, five steals and two assists. Second Baptist only scored seven points the rest of the game as the Southwest Christian defense stepped up.

“Defense wins games, offense sell tickets,” said Ariele Rosborough who had six rebounds and three steals in addition to her 20 points. “That’s what coach Menendez always tell us. You’ve gotta play the defensive part to create the offensive part.”

“I knew that they were playing really well on offense at that point, but I knew that better defense was going to win the game,” added Arieona Rosborough. “I just started playing better defense and that’s what helped win the game.”

After consecutive three pointers by Ariele Rosborough, off of assists from Arieona, Southwest Christian led 52-36 with 3:59 left and were never challenged again.

“Ariele has always been an ice water in her veins kind of shooter,” said Menendez. “Last year in the semis she hit a solid three with 13 seconds left. This year she has been hitting them and, as I said, just has ice water in her veins.”

Arieona Rosborough corralled 10 rebounds, had five assists and eight steals to go with her 16 points.

The Rosborough sisters as well as Flowers, Southwest Christian’s only other senior, were named to the all-tournament team. Flowers finished with seven points and five rebounds.

“It’s been very special because he’s been a very big role model as far as a dad and as a coach,” said Ariele Rosborough on winning two titles with her stepfather at the helm. “So hearing it from both sides, whether I like it or not, just makes me a better player on and off the court.

“And to Southwest Christian because that school has changed my life for the better. So just bringing them that honor and the blessing to win two state championships is really great.”

This story was originally published March 13, 2021 at 12:44 AM.