Mansfield Timberview ends Lancaster’s reign, advances to regionals

There will be a new UIL boys basketball Class 5A champion for the first time since 2014.

Mansfield Timberview led by as much as 28 points as the Wolves dethroned Lancaster 76-52 Monday in a 5A Region II quarterfinal at Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center.

Timberview (28-7) advances to the regional tournament, with a 6 p.m. Friday game at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland. The Wolves play the winner of Tuesday’s game between McKinney North and Dallas Highland Park.

Lancaster set the pace early as Timberview couldn’t find a way to score against the Tigers’ zone defense, but once the Wolves started to run and speed up the game, they wouldn’t be stopped.

“Our deal is we wanted to defend, run and repeat,” Wolves coach Duane Gregory said. “The kids have really bought into that first part — to defend. You get the stops, rebounds and then you get out and here we go.”

Timberview only led 13-10 after the first quarter, but the margin was 26-17 at the half.

The Wolves started the second half with a 12-2 run on their way to 27-point third quarter and 53-27 lead by the start of the fourth quarter.

Timberview senior guard Tim Johnson, who scored 30 in the area round, had a game-high 21 points Monday. He scored six in the final 10 seconds of the third quarter alone. Junior forward Isaac Likekele added 17 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, and junior guard Chris Mullins added 14 points.

This story was originally published February 27, 2017 at 10:19 PM with the headline "Mansfield Timberview ends Lancaster’s reign, advances to regionals."