Aledo, Mansfield Summit and Timberview pursue berths at state
Four more wins are needed for a UIL championship, and the search starts this weekend with regional tournaments around the state.
Class 5A squads Aledo, Mansfield Summit and Mansfield Timberview are the remaining area teams vying for a chance at a trip next week to the Alamodome in San Antonio.
“It says a lot about the kids on this team,” said Kit Martin, whose Timberview girls are back at regionals for the first time since 2010. “They play with passion and such teamwork that it’s fun to watch. I’m just proud to have the opportunity to coach them.”
Timberview and Duncanville (in 6A) look to stay undefeated, but plenty of other state-ranked teams are ready for the challenge.
Class 6A Region I
Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center, Fort Worth
Semifinals: Midland Lee (27-4) vs. Duncanville (35-0), 6 p.m. tonight; Plano West (32-4) vs. Amarillo (32-4), 8 p.m. tonight.
Final: 1 p.m. Saturday
Midland Lee: The Rebels erased a 13-point halftime deficit and hung on at the buzzer to beat No. 25 Arlington Bowie 51-49 on Tuesday. Lee has a date with No. 1 Duncanville. Six seniors lead a team enjoying its best season in the past 25 years.
Duncanville: Seventh regional tournament in nine years. The Pantherettes won back-to-back state titles in 2012 and 2013. Duncanville is nearly doubling up opponents, scoring 75 points per game and allowing 39. Coached by Cathy Self-Morgan, who has won more than 1,050 career games, Duncanville is led by ESPN’s No. 15-rated senior Ciera Johnson, a 6-foot-4 center headed to Louisville, and Zarielle Green, the 14th-ranked sophomore and a five-star 2018 recruit.
Plano West: A rematch of last year’s semifinal, which West won 52-48. This time it’s No. 9 Plano West and No. 4 Amarillo. Plano West senior Natalie Chou (Baylor), is the No. 8 ranked player in the nation. The 6-1 guard averages 23.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.5 steals per game. The Wolves beat No. 8 Cedar Hill 59-57 on Tuesday.
Amarillo: Two of the Sandies’ four losses this are against 5A No. 1 Timberview and No. 2 Canyon. Amarillo advanced to the regional finals for the first time since 1996, its last of four straight years reaching state.
Class 5A Region I
Western Texas College, Snyder
Semifinals: Canyon (31-1) vs. Aledo (28-8), 4 p.m. today; El Paso Burges (28-3) vs. Wichita Falls Rider (35-1), 6 tonight.
Final: 2 p.m. Saturday
Canyon: The face of girls basketball for the past decade is back in its 10th straight regional tournament. Last year’s 5A champs look to repeat. If they do, that would be nine titles in 14 years and give Hall of Fame coach Joe Lombard his 12th at the school and 18 in his illustrious career. No. 2-ranked Canyon’s only loss was 59-57 to Timberview in December’s Spring Creek BBQ championship.
Aledo: No. 22 in the state, the Bearcats are back in the semifinals for the first time in three years. Seniors Alexus Jones and Rebekah Hissam have a nice inside-out game. But defense highlights this team, led by soccer players Cameron Huddleston and Kara Williams. Huddleston had a near quadruple double (9 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 11 steals) in the area round against Saginaw Boswell.
El Paso Burges: The No. 3 Mustangs are back in the regional tourney after missing out last season. In playoff wins against El Paso Bel Air, Dumas and San Angelo Lake View, Burges’ average margin of victory was 26 points. Riding a 19-game winning streak, the Mustangs are led by senior Becca Cardenas with averages of 14.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 5.9 steals per game.
Rider: It is back-to-back regional tournaments for No. 4 Rider for the first time in program history. The Raiders lost on an overtime buzzer beater to Canyon in last year’s semifinal. The Raiders lost to Plano West in mid-November and since have won 33 straight games. Rider has beaten Lake Dallas, Crowley and Grapevine in the playoffs, and is looking for its first ever regional final.
Class 5A Region II
Culwell Center, Garland
Semifinals: Prosper (30-5) vs. Mansfield Summit (31-6), 6 tonight; Frisco Liberty (30-6) vs. Mansfield Timberview (33-0), 7:30 tonight.
Final: 1 p.m. Saturday
Prosper: For the first time in nine years, the No. 19 Eagles won a bi-district championship. For the first time in 10 years, they’re in the regional semifinals. Coach Trey Rachal has a deep team, highlighted by freshman Jordyn Oliver, but anyone on this squad can lead in points, including the lone senior Skylar Brooks or 6-foot-3 junior post Hannah Reynolds. Bailey Lightfoot has 3-point range and Mackenzie Hewitt led with 16 points in Tuesday’s win over No. 20 West Mesquite.
Mansfield Summit: Down two players, including versatile guard Amber Dixon, No. 15 Summit has overcome adversity to advance to its first regional tournament in three years. Under new head coach Dawn Mailloux-Smith, the Jaguars have a balanced offensive attack. Summit looks to duplicate its 2011-12 season when it came home with a state title.
Frisco Liberty: No. 8 Liberty is in its third regional tournament in four years. The Redhawks made the regional final in 2013, but are still seeking their first state appearance since the school opened in 2006. Juniors Rebecca Lescay and Jordan Hamilton combine to average 25.3 points, 10.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game.
Mansfield Timberview: The No. 1 Wolves are back at regionals for the first time since a state championship campaign in 2010. Highlighted by juniors Chennedy Carter and Trelynn Tyler, Timberview runs a fast-tempo offense and an aggressive defense. The Wolves average 65.2 points per game, outscoring their opposition by 23 points. In their first three playoff games, the Wolves have outscored their competition 240-114.
This story was originally published February 25, 2016 at 5:48 PM with the headline "Aledo, Mansfield Summit and Timberview pursue berths at state."