Bi-district boys basketball roundup: Fort Worth Eagle Mountain defeats Benbrook, more
The Texas high school boys basketball are here, and Fort Worth-area teams are starting their playoff runs.
See results and more from the UIL bi-district round.
FW Eagle Mountain wins first-ever playoff game over Benbrook
Eagle Mountain High School has had numerous firsts in its debut season. Add another to the list.
The Knights played in their first boys basketball playoff game and came away with their first playoff victory after downing Benbrook 60-48 on Monday, Feb. 17, in a Class 4A Division 2 bi-district game at Azle High School.
Eagle Mountain (18-14) will advance to the area round where the Knights will meet No. 20 Brock (27-8) on Thursday, Feb. 20, at Aledo High School. Brock defeated Levelland 64-33 on Monday night.
Eagle Mountain’s Avery Moses got the scoring started with a rebound and a put back to score the Knights first points in a playoff game. Benbrook rallied with a 10-2 run led by Brennan Barton who had five during the spree that gave the Bobcats a 10-4 lead with 3:27 left in the first quarter.
Benbrook led 19-11 at the end of the first quarter, but Eagle Mountain started the second quarter with a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 19-18 at the 5:50 mark of the second period.
It was back and forth from that point. Eagle Mountain took a 24-23 lead into the locker room at the intermission, but the Knights got over their tightness after the half.
Moses scored 13 of his team-high 21 points in the third quarter as Eagle Mountain built its lead. The Knights led by 14, 53-39, with 4:41 left in the fourth quarter.
“This feels great,” said Moses, a sophomore. “I’ve been working a lot and to score the first points in a playoff game and to win our first playoff game is just great. We’ve had our ups and downs this season, but it’s great to get this done.”
Benbrook made a bit of a run behind Barton who scored 10 of his game high 22 points in the fourth quarter. The Bobcats cut the lead to 53-46 on a Barton three pointer with 3:04 left, but would get no closer.
Eagle Mountain hit seven of eight free throws in the final 35 seconds to put the game away.
“I’m just so happy for them with all that they’ve been through starting up a program,” said Eagle Mountain coach Scott Richardson, whose doesn’t have any seniors on his roster. “Everyone taking a role with no one in the locker room to guide them and to navigate the storm and do it together. Watching them become a team is just such a blessing and I’m so glad to be a part of it.”
Klain Ogamba scored 15 points and Parker Boaz added 11 for Eagle Mountain. Kade Cross chipped in 10 points for Benbrook.
Decatur edges Fort Worth Eastern Hills in OT in battle of Top 25 teams
With the new two-division format now for all sports you will be seeing situations like this quite often where Eastern Hills, No. 16 in the state in Class 4A according to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, and No. 18 Decatur face off in the first round of the state playoffs.
Decatur coach Rob Yeatts said that he was “not a fan of it because of that very reason.”
The game saw seven ties and 10 lead changes, but Decatur seemed to be battling from behind most of the game. The Eagles were able to force overtime and hit a clutch 10 of 12 free throws in the extra period to take a 65-63 win in a 4A Division 1 bi-district game on Monday, Feb. 17, at Azle High School.
Decatur (27-8) will play the winner of Tuesday’s Stephenville (23-9)-San Angelo Lake View (14-16) game in the area round later this week.
“Eastern Hills is very different as you can see,” said Yeatts. “The coaching, the talent, the length, they’ve kind of got it all. They’re just a really hard team to beat no matter when you play them, but for us to get them first, well, we knew that if we got this one then the next ones would be easier based off of just talent.
“Our guys were tougher and our guys were more physical and I thought that’s what we had to do.”
It seemed like every time that Eastern Hills (20-9) would take a brief lead that Decatur would come back with a big three point basket to pull close. The Highlanders took their biggest lead, seven points, with 6:32 left in the second quarter on a lay in by Devon Norice.
The Eagles made 10 three-point baskets on the night and Adan Gonzalez’s three with 5:07 left before halftime cut the lead to 17-14. The game was a tight, back-and-forth affair after that.
Decatur’s Brayden Shook hit a three with 45 seconds left in the game to tie it at 51 and send it to overtime. In the overtime Decatur was clutch, hitting 10 of 12 free throws.
The Eagles took their biggest lead, six points, at 64-58 on a free throw by Javen Colbert with 14 seconds left in OT.
Colbert and Gonzalez were stellar. Colbert hit five threes on his way to a game high 30 points and Gonzalez poured in 18 of his own.
“They’ve been so good all year,” said Yeatts of his two seniors. “Those guys put in a lot of gym work outside of practice. They love the gym and love their teammates.
“They play so well together sharing the ball and knowing where the other one is at on the court. When you’ve got that combo it’s hard to beat.”
Eastern Hills had four players reach double figures in scoring with Norice leading the way with 16. Alex Barther had 15 and Messiah Miller and Dorian Johnson had 13 points each for the Highlanders.
More Scores
Glen Rose 54, Lubbock Liberty 52
Krum 80, Dunbar 54
Brock 64, Levelland 33
Kennedale 80, Dallas Lincoln 77 (2OT)
This story was originally published February 17, 2025 at 11:08 PM.