Back-to-back complete: Lipan defeats Shelbyville for UIL Class 2A state championship

The Lipan boys basketball players took turns making critical three-point baskets against Shelbyville in the Class 2A state championship game.

The Indians actually made 10 three pointers, second most in 2A tournament history, with most being at key times as Lipan won back to back championships with a 47-36 win over the Dragons on Saturday at the Alamodome.

It is the sixth state title for Lipan (36-4), the No. 2 team in the state in 2A according to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, in the teams 15th state tournament appearance. The Indians also have titles in 1994, 2005, 2017, 2018 and 2023.

“It’s still pretty surreal, honestly,” Lipan head coach Brent Gaylor said. “If you saw where we were back in the summer — and these guys will be the first to admit that — we were not very good.”

Lipan jumped out to an early 10-2 lead with freshman and coach Brent Gaylor’s son Court Gaylor nailing a three to start the game and later hitting a jumper in the paint. Gaylor finished with 23 points for the Indians to earn the Championship Game MVP honors.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Court Gaylor who grew up watching Lipan teams, and his father, in state tournaments. “I’ve been wanting to do this for – I don’t know how long. It’s awesome.”

A three by Tyson Tarpley gave Lipan an 8-0 lead and Alberto Andreatta’s dunk for Lipan got the crowd on its feet to end the run with 22 seconds left in the first quarter.

A three by Darius Steed to open the second quarter pushed Lipan’s lead to 13-5, but

Shelbyville started to deny Court Gaylor, Lipan’s playmaker, in the second quarter and it worked to an extent as the Dragons were able to claw their way back into the game.

The Dragons went on an 8-0 run in the second quarter to help pull to within 17-15 at the half. A pair of steals and layups by Shelbyville’s D.J. Barnes, who led the Dragons with 14 points, cut the lead to two.

Barnes’ second score came with 2:55 left before the intermission and both teams went cold after that missing every shot the rest of the half.

“At the time I didn’t really like how we were responding because we had a couple of turnovers that led to some layups on their end,” Brent Gaylor said. “ We allowed them to get back in the game, but credit goes to them too. They’re a great team and they’re playing on the last Saturday of the season.”

The game was close throughout, but Lipan led much of the game with No. 13 Shelbyville (29-8) leading for less than two minutes in the contest.

The Dragons took a 18-17 lead on a pair of Ja’Davian Mathis free throws a minute and a half into the third quarter, but Tarpley hit another big three to take the lead back and Court Gaylor followed with another triple to give the Indians a 23-20 lead.

Shelbyville took another two-point lead late in the third, but Payton Cornelius hit from three and Court Gaylor made two from beyond the arc in the final 1:31 of the third to take a 32-27 lead heading into the final quarter.

Court Gaylor’s three with 4:01 left put Lipan up by five and Cornelius hit another with 2:09 remaining to go up by 10, 42-32.

Shelbyville only went two of eight from the floor in the final four minutes of the game while Lipan hit five of six free throws to ice the game.

Brent Gaylor said the whole town “bleeds blue and gold.” He said putting on the Lipan uniforms brings high expectations on and off the court.

“That’s one neat thing about small school basketball is our community really is incredible,” Gaylor said. “The support they have… it’s just real neat. It starts with our administration.”

Three point shooting was difference in the game as Lipan hit 10 of 25 while Shelbyville made two of 17, a 24-point difference. Only Ben Wheeler Martin’s Mill has made more threes in a Class 2A tournament game with 12 against Canadian in 2015.

The Dragons have won three state titles in 1982, 1984 and 2019. This is the sixth trip to the tournament for Shelbyville which lost in the semifinals in 2018 and had reached the semifinals in 2020, but the tournament was canceled before any Class 2A games were played due to Covid.

“I didn’t want to go out losing this year,” said Tarpley, the only senior on Lipan’s roster. “It means a lot. It’s been a lot of work, but all of my teammates have helped as well as my coaches.

“Even all my past teammates helped me get to this point. There’s no better way I can think of going home than with a gold medal around my neck.”

This story was originally published March 9, 2024 at 3:32 PM.