Mansfield Timberview or Argyle, SGP or Boswell; Which girls teams are headed to state?
Mansfield Timberview rallies against Argyle for state berth
The Mansfield Timberview girls basketball team was taken completely out of its up-tempo running game in the first half, but the Wolves regrouped at the break to down Argyle 44-35 in the Class 5A Region I final at the Yeager Coliseum in Wichita Falls.
Timberview (39-1), the No. 1 ranked team in the state in Class 5A, will make its sixth trip to the state tournament and the first since 2020 when the Wolves lost in the semifinals. The Wolves will face Cedar Park (27-11) in the semifinals at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Timberview won the 2010 state title, but lost in the championship game in 2009, 2017 and 2018.
No. 12 Argyle (34-6) dominated the boards early in the game which didn’t allow Timberview to try to get quick outlets and fast-break points.
The Eagles were playing at the pace they wanted, keeping the game low scoring and close. Argyle led 4-2 at the end of the first quarter and 11-10 at the half.
But despite getting 10 offensive rebounds and out rebounding Timberview by a total of 17-6 in the first half, Argyle couldn’t turn the extra possessions into points.
Timberview got things rolling after halftime. The Wolves took their first lead of the game on a three by Kamryn Wilson with 4:51 left in the third quarter.
Another three by Brooklyn Terry with 3:25 left in the third gave Timberview a 21-20 lead which they never relinquished.
“That was the topic of conversation at halftime,” said Timberview coach Kit Kyle.”I understand that you’re tired and your faces look like you don’t know if you can do it. Which, if that’s it, then you’re sending them to San Antonio.”
Kyle added that not stopping the offensive rebounds allows them to possibly score and take more time off the clock.
“We can’t get a good pace so you have to rebound the ball. Period,” Kyle continued. “We didn’t give them as many in the second half and they started turning into points for us on the other end. Argyle has an excellent team.”
Chrishawn Coleman, the Region I tournament Most Valuable player, took over early in the fourth quarter. Leading 28-24, Coleman scored nine of the next 11 points for the Wolves to up the lead to 39-28 with 1:31 left in the game.
Kennedy Hafer followed with a three and another basket with 43 seconds left to cut the lead to 39-33, but the Wolves made five of six free throws the rest of the way to close it out.
Coleman finished with 13 points, all after halftime. Emilee Jones had 11 points with Wilson and and Terry adding eight points each.
Wilson and Jones were all-tournament selections for Timberview as was Samantha Bacon and Gabby Campbell for Argyle. Campbell led the Eagles with 12 points.
Argyle was in search of its 11th state tournament appearance and seventh state title. The Eagles had reached the title game in nine of the 10 trips to state with the last trip in 2022 being the only time to lose 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.
SGP heads to state with win over Boswell
Boswell girls basketball upset No. 2 Hebron on Friday but met its match in the Class 6A regional final.
South Grand Prairie (33-3) used a significant size advantage and offensive consistency to defeat Boswell 59-44 and advance to the state semifinal on Saturday at the Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center.
South Grand Prairie head coach Brion Raven said the team played its best game of the year.
“We handled adversity,” Raven said. “We played as a team. It wasn’t just one player that led us. I’m so proud of our girls. They did a great job.”
Senior Erica Carr, standing at 6-foot-3, led the way for SGP with a team high 13 points. Senior Taliyah Parker, a 6-foot-1 Texas A&M commit, also had a strong performance with 12 points.
“I was getting to the basket,” Parker said. “Being patient and feeding off my teammates’ assists. I wasn’t scoring the best with some shots going in and out but we were still making the right passes.”
Boswell head coach John Reese said his team played great and credited their ability to battle against the size mismatches.
“It’s 6-foot versus 5-foot-5,” Reese said. “They were able to rise up over the top and make shots. We were hoping fatigue would be a factor. ... They were able to impose their will, especially inside.”
Raven said his team’s size advantage helped late in the game.
“We went into a zone,” Raven said. “We really just tried to extend things out and make it tough on their shooters. They are so small and quick. They got wherever they wanted to on the court for a little while. Luckily we were able to match their scoring.”
Boswell trailed 32-20 at the half but outscored SGP 15-9 in the third quarter to climb back within striking distance. Boswell forced some turnovers, and Reese said the transition play fueled the team.
Boswell was getting out rebounded, so the second chances from the turnovers were key.
“I thought we fought,” Reese said. “We did a really good job.”
SGP was affected by Boswell’s near full court press, but some missed defensive rotations kept SGP’s lead intact the rest of the way. Boswell was led by junior Camille Williams and sophomore Salena Carrasco, who scored 16 and 13 points, respectively.
Freshman Sydney Durrah was also a key contributor for Boswell with 12 points. She pushed the tempo as the primary ball handler, often finding herself on the floor fighting for loose balls.
With the victory No. 7 SGP advances to the state tournament in San Antonio. The Warriors will face No. 6 San Antonio Brennan (32-3) at 8:30 p.m. on Friday at the Alamodome.
“We are going to continue to stay level headed and positive,” Parker said. “We don’t underestimate or overestimate anybody because its playoffs at the end of the day. I’m super excited.”
This story was originally published February 24, 2024 at 3:16 PM.
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