Playoff basketball roundup: Boswell upsets Hebron plus more from Fort Worth-area schools
The UIL Texas high school basketball playoffs continued on Friday.
See results, stats and more from boys and girls basketball teams from the Fort Worth-area. The boys teams competed in the area round, and the girls played in the regional semifinals on Friday.
Girls Basketball
Boswell stuns Hebron, advances to regional final
Hebron entered the regional semifinal against Boswell ranked No. 2 in Class 6A by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.
Rankings aren’t everything, and Boswell (35-5) proved that by securing a 49-44 victory at Wilkerson Greines on Friday to eliminate Hebron and advance to the regional final. They’ll face South Grand Prairie at 1 p.m. Saturday at Wilkerson Greines.
Boswell head coach John Reese said he told his team “let’s get there and see what happens.”
“Once you get here anybody can beat anybody,” Reese said. “You have a chance. We’re blessed to be here. I’m glad the girls stepped up tonight. They followed the game plan and stuck with it.”
Boswell thrived on the offensive glass, fought for loose balls and forced Hebron (34-3) turnovers to capture the momentum.
“We have a group of young ladies that really, really play hard and just get after it,” Reese said. “We have some young ladies that have been hurt. They persevere. They keep fighting.”
Boswell freshman guard Sydney Durrah hit four clutch free throw to seal the deal for the Lady Pioneers. She finished with a team high 21 points and made all eight free throw attempts. How does the freshman stay composed?
“Just taking a breath and focusing on my form,” Durrah said.
Reese said Durrah has been closing out games all year long. He added that in close playoff games free throws can save your season.
Junior guard Camille Williams was also a key contributor, adding 16 points. She hit a three pointer in the fourth quarter to ensure the Pioneers’ stayed in front.
The entirety of the game was a back and forth affair, and Boswell capitalized in key moments. To continue the success, Durrah said the team will have to keep its foot on the gas pedal.
“Playing as a team and keeping our composure,” Durrah said.
Timberview survives Amarillo in OT
Chrishawn Coleman hit a basket with 31 seconds left in overtime for the Mansfield Timberview girls and Tamaiya Mims hit one of two from the free throw line with 12 seconds remaining and that was just enough for the Lady Wolves to hold on for a 55-52 victory over Amarillo in a Class 5A Region I semifinal at the Yeager Coliseum in Wichita Falls.
Timberview (38-1), the No. 1 ranked team in the state in Class 5A, will attempt to make its sixth trip to the state tournament when the Wolves face No. 12 Argyle (34-5) in the Region I championship at 1 p.m. on Saturday, back at the Yeager Coliseum.
Timberview has one state title, winning it all in 2010.
Timberview was hot to start taking a 19-5 lead, but the Wolves hit just two of 13 field goals in the second quarter. While Timberview was struggling, Bella Edwards was going off for No. 4 Amarillo (35-5).
Edwards hit three threes in the final 3:25 of the second quarter to help the Sandies cut Timberview’s lead to 24-22 at the half.
“We had 20 possessions in the second quarter, but couldn’t hit any shots,” said Timberview coach Kit Kyle. “Then (Edwards) started bombing from the three and couldn’t miss.”
Edwards hit six threes total and opened the second half with two more, the second gave Amarillo a 30-26 lead with 4:47 left in the third quarter.
But Timberview’s Emilee Jones would not be denied. Jones scored 14 of her game-high 20 points after halftime and had seven rebounds, three steals and two assists after the break.
“Jones just has a warrior mentality as does this whole team,” said Kyle. “I’m just so proud of them.”
Timberview still trailed by four, 40-36, entering the fourth quarter, but Jones gave the Wolves the lead back, 42-41, with a pair of free throws with 5:20 left in regulation.
Jones and Mims hit field goals to give Timberview a 46-41 lead with 3:43 left in the fourth quarter, but Edwards hit another three 20 seconds later to cut the lead to 46-44.
“Their motion offense is extremely difficult to guard anyway and they’ve got other people that are good at what they do,” said Kyle. “It was very difficult to face-guard, deny (Edwards), but that’s what we ended up having to do towards the end because she was killing us.”
The teams traded baskets with neither scoring in the final 2:02 to send the game to overtime tied at 48.
Jones’ basket with 2:05 left gave Timberview a 52-50 lead. Taytum Bell tied it for Amarillo with 1:35 left before Coleman and Mims sealed the game.
The Sandies had one last chance to tie it, but a three by Kirbi Simpson as time was running out glaced off the left side of the rim.
Kamryn Wilson added 13 points for Timberview with Coleman chipping in 11. Edwards led Amarillo with 18 points, all on threes, with Jada Graves contributing 12 and Bell with 10.
Kyle said that she felt like they had “finally gotten the monkey off of our back” against Amarillo who had beaten the Wolves three out of four times in the playoffs since 2018. Two times in the regional tournament and once in the state title game in 2018.
South Grand Prairie eliminates Southlake Carroll
Southlake Carroll girls basketball met its match in the regional semifinal.
South Grand Prairie (30-3) led from start to finish, taking advantage of its size and pestering defense to secure a 62-44 victory at Wilkerson Greines on Friday. Taylor Barnes led the way for SGP, scoring 13 points in the third quarter and tallying a team high 25 points in total.
“The girls had a great season,” Southlake Carroll head coach Robyn McCoart said. “There is nothing to hand your head about. You guys have fought and scrapped. We have great senior leadership. The culture in our locker room is amazing.”
South Grand Prairie took a 29-21 lead at the half, and the Dragons were still in a position to cut the lead. The SGP Warriors, however, outscored Southlake Carroll by 13 points in the third quarter, creating a sizable lead that was too much to overcome.
McCoart said that despite the losing effort, she told her team that they are still winners. She added that South Grand Prairie was the better team on Friday.
“You may not have won today, but you’re winners,” McCoart said, reflecting on her message. “Because of how you act, how you treat people and the integrity you have.”
SGP has four players on its roster at 6-foot or taller, and the height was a lot for the Lady Dragons to handle. Southlake Carroll (31-6) doesn’t have a player on the team taller than 5-foot-11.
“We knew we had to come out and execute our defensive gameplan,” McCoart said. “ ... They were shooting better than we were.”
With one minute remaining Southlake Carroll senior forward Taryn Barnes fouled out of the game.
Barnes, who fought all game and collected eight offensive rebounds, received a standing ovation from the crowd. She cried and hugged coaches and teammates as fans applauded her high school career and effort.
“She is a sparkplug,” McCoart said. “She is the energizer bunny. She just always brings the energy. A player like that is going to be missed.”
Junior Milania Jordan led Southlake Carroll with 15 points while freshman Nadia Jordan tallied 9 points. Nadia Jordan was a defensive pest for the Lady Dragons, keeping the game competitive with intense effort and unwavering competitiveness.
The Jordan sisters make up four of five Southlake Carroll starters, and they are all set to return to high school basketball next season.
Argyle takes two overtimes to subdue Amarillo Tascosa
The Argyle girls basketball team battled through two overtimes with Amarillo Tascosa, but the Eagles finally pulled out a 61-59 win over the Rebels in a Class 5A Region I semifinal on Friday at the Yeager Coliseum in Wichita Falls.
Argyle (34-5), No. 12 in the final TABC Class 5A state rankings, will now face No. 1 Mansfield Timberview (38-1) in the Region I final at 1 p.m. back at the Yeager Coliseum for the right to head to San Antonio for the state tournament next week.
No. 17 Tascosa finishes its season at 26-7.
Argyle raced out to an early lead with Samantha Bacon hitting a pair of field goals, the latter making the score 8-1 with 1:01 left in the first quarter. Kennedy Hafer’s basket for the Eagles with 6:39 left in the second quarter made it 13-6, but Tascosa battled back to tie the game at 13 with 3:54 left before halftime.
From that point neither team led by more that five points the rest of the way. There were 12 ties in the game and five lead changes.
The Rebels nearly lost the game in regulation, but a three pointer by La’Kenzee Dickson just before the buzzer sounded tied the game at 46 and sent it to overtime.
Argyle almost didn’t reach the second overtime, but Bacon was fouled with one second left. The senior hit one of two from the line to tie it at 54 sending it to a second extra period.
The Eagles scored all seven points in the second OT from the charity stripe hitting seven of eight. Argyle was 19 of 22 from the line for the night.
Tascosa had a chance to tie and send it to a third overtime, but a short jumper by Avery Carter bounced off the back iron.
Argyle senior Gabby Campbell struggled from the field hitting only 4 of 17 shots, but still led the Eagles with 18 points. Campbell hit 3 of 9 threes and was seven of eight from the free throw line.
Bacon finished with 15 points for Argyle with Mallory Millington adding nine and Brooklynn Northeim with eight.
Dickson led Tascosa with 18 points followed by Devaeh Johnson with 15 and Carter with 13. Carter also had 12 rebounds.
Argyle has reached the state tournament 10 times with six titles under its belt. The Eagles have reached the title game in nine of the 10 trips to state with the last trip in 2022 being the only time they have lost in the semifinals.
Argyle won five straight state titles in Class 4A from 2015-2019. The Eagles lost in the area round last season, their first campaign in Class 5A.
Boys Basketball
North Crowley, Keller secure victories
North Crowley (32-2) took care of business against El Paso Eastwood at Seminole High School on Friday, securing a 58-30 area round victory.
KD Davis led the way for North Crowley, tallying 14 points and 12 rebounds. He thrived in the first half, recording 10 points to create a sizable Panther lead.
Kamoni Sieber also had a significant performance, scoring 10 points and notching four assists. Freshman Isaak Hayes rounded things out with eight points and a team high five assists.
Keller (28-5) also won, defeating San Angelo Central 46-39 at Clyde High School. Senior forward Rhett Schank led the way with 14 points with BYU commit Brooks Bahr sidelined with a leg injury.
Now, North Crowley and Keller will meet in the regional final for the second consecutive year. Last season, North Crowley eliminated Keller 80-78 in overtime.
North Crowley and Keller are the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked Class 6A teams in the Fort Worth-area, respectively. Their matchup will see two best Fort Worth-area teams fighting for supremacy and a shot at competing for a state title.
Haslet Eaton stymies Midland Legacy
Haslet Eaton finished second in a competitive District 4-6A, and the experience is showing in the playoffs.
The Eaton Eagles gave Midland Legacy trouble in all facets, securing a dominant 56-37 area round victory at Abilene Cooper High School on Friday. Eaton steadily increased its lead as the game continued.
Senior guards Jaeden Mccarthy and Kaden Mcclurg powered the team to success with 15 and 13 points, respectively.
Arlington Martin falls to Lewisville in overtime thriller
Arlington Martin (18-17) was just shy of advancing to a regional quarterfinal, falling 61-56 in overtime to Lewisville.
Martin secured a 10 point lead heading into halftime but couldn’t carry over the momentum. Lewisville erased the lead to force overtime and continued to outplay Martin to avoid elimination.
Senior guard Jayson Mathiesen, in his final high school game, led the Warriors with 14 points.
Wolfforth Frenship knocks off Chisholm Trail
Chisholm Trail’s season ended on Friday against Chisholm Trail in an area round matchup at Abilene Wylie High School. The Rangers started strong but only scored five points in the second quarter; the poor run was a factor in Frenship’s 51-41 victory.
Junior Kaden Richardson, for the Ranger, had a strong performance in the losing effort, tallying a team high 15 points.
Colleyville Heritage steamrolls Aledo
Colleyville Heritage (28-6) throughly steamrolled Aledo 69-30 at Mansfield Legacy high school on Friday. The Bearcats only trailed by 11 at the half but were outscored 39 to 11 as the game continued.
Heritage junior Cash Gardner led the way with 19 points. Senior Tristan Strength was also a key contributor with 16 points.
The Panthers will face Brewer in the regional quarterfinals at a time and location that is to be determined.
Mansfield Summit defeats Saginaw
Mansfield Summit (26-8) put together a dominant performance, defeating Saginaw 62-38 in the area round on Friday at the Thomas Coliseum.
Summit jumped out to a 21-12 lead in the first quarter and held it the rest of the way. The team was led by sophomore point guard Theo Brannan, who scored a team high 14 points.
Mansfield Summit will play Denton Ryan in the area round at a time and location that is to be determined.
Mansfield Lake Ridge rolls past Wylie
Mansfield Lake Ridge is a potential state championship contender in Class 6A, and the Eagles were dominant in the area round.
Lake Ridge (29-6) defeated Wylie 55-37 to advance on Thursday at Carrollton Smith High School. Senior guard Matthew Alexander led the way with a strong 17 point performance.
Lake Ridge head coach Cornelius Mitchell said Alexander is the “heart and soul” of the program.
“He plays hard,” Mitchell said. “He doesn’t care about scoring. All he cares about is doing whatever he had to do in order for our team to win. He’s a great kid. He’s competitive and smart.”
The Eagles jumped out to a 14-4 lead in a first quarter, preventing Wylie from reaching the basket with intense, physical defense. Mitchell said the team executed the defensive game plan well.
“That was our focus,” Mitchell said of preventing interior shots. “Make them put it on the floor and make plays off the dribble.”
According Mitchell, the team usually plays fast but stayed patient against a tough Wylie defense. Mitchell said the team was excited at first but calmed down as the game continued, showing offensive patience.
Mitchell mentioned that fast paced, out of control play could hurt against a solid defensive squad such as Wylie.
“Our seniors and our guards did a really good job of executing,” Mitchell said.
Lake Ridge point guard Amir McMillan, a 247Sports’ three star prospect, controlled the pace of the offense and consistently made smart passes. Mitchell said he is one of the guys that has a knack for scoring and assisting.
“He puts other guys in great positions to score,” Mitchell said. “Every single time we get the ball in his hands something good happens.”
Lake Ridge took a 27-13 halftime lead and Wylie responded with an aggressive half court press. Wylie’s offense improved, but the Eagles consistently found ways to beat the press and kept control of a double digit lead the rest of the way.
To have success in later rounds, Mitchell said the team will need to be consistent, stay competitive and show “continuous relentlessly.”
McMillan said the team will need to keep practicing every day and do everything they can to improve. Lake Ridge will play the winner of Waxahachie or Horn in the regional quarterfinal at a time and place that is to be determined.
“You’ve got to keep getting better in the playoffs,” McMillan said.
No. 1 Faith Family blitzes Dunbar
The Dallas Oak Cliff Faith Family boys did to Fort Worth Dunbar like the Wildcats do to many of their opponents.
The Eagles shot extremely well, out rebounded Dunbar, and used a smothering full-court press to create steals and force turnovers.
In the end Faith Family, the No. 1 team in the state in Class 4A, dismantled the Wildcats 105-64 in a 4A Region II area-round game at Grand Prairie High School.
Faith Family (20-11) advances to the Region II quarterfinals where it will face either Alvarado (24-7) or Frisco Panther Creek (19-11) who play Tuesday night.
Faith Family’s length, three players over 6’7”, and quickness on the press caused fits for Dunbar (16-12) the entire game. Even when the Wildcats could get off a shot it was usually contested by a Faith Family defender.
The Eagles jumped out to an early 12-0 lead starting with back-to-back threes by Jazz Henderson and Tahsheim Gary. Jeffrey Kirven had a pair of baskets to help Dunbar cut the lead to 12-6 with 4:12 left in the first quarter.
But Faith Family went on a 10-0 run immediately after that to up the lead to 22-6 and started a 20-5 run late in the first quarter that pushed the lead to 47-17 with 5:05 in the second quarter.
Faith Family led by 25-30 points for much of the rest of the game until the contest turned into an NBA All-Star Game late where little defense was played.
Jonathan Williams led Dunbar with 25 points followed by Dwight Johnson with 13 and Kirven added 10 for the Wildcats.
Faith Family had 11 of 12 players on its roster score points led by 6’11” Doryan Onwuchekwa who poured in 25, including a fall-away three pointer at the first quarter buzzer.
Lamont Hartfield and Isaac Williams had 16 points each for the Eagles with Gary adding 10.
This story was originally published February 22, 2024 at 10:50 PM.
.jpg)