Basketball round-up: Joshua boys on the verge of first playoff berth in 39 years
Joshua’s playoff hopes came down to the final regular season game in 2020, but the Owls came up a game short. The Owls will take their playoff chances to the final game again after a 68-50 road victory vs. Cleburne Tuesday night in a District 14-5A boys basketball rivalry game.
The Owls are a step closer at clinching the program’s first playoff berth since 1982.
They host Midlothian on Friday night at 8 p.m. A win or Red Oak loss to Waco University will make it happen, but there’s still a chance of a 3-way tie for third place.
“It would pretty much mean everything,” said senior Brandon Ayars of a playoff berth. Ayars scored a game-high-tying 17 points against Cleburne. “Trying to overcome that hump and be the first team in 39 years to make playoffs at Joshua.”
Added senior Tyler Stone, “It gives me chills just talking about it.”
Cleburne (0-25, 0-11 in 14-5A) started strong with a 3-pointer by Carson Harris on the opening possession, but a pair of early layups by Joshua’s Levi Marriot gave the Owls a 10-0 run.
Taylor Humphries, who led Cleburne with 17 points, drained a long three to cut it to 10-6, but the Owls took a 21-14 lead into the second on 3-pointers by Logan Rice and Stone, who beat the buzzer.
“We came into this game knowing we were going to win. We didn’t expect to lose. They came out playing, much better than the first time,” said Stone, who scored eight points. “We just have really good chemistry.”
Ayars hit both of his threes in the second quarter and scored 10 points in the period. Joshua led 43-28 at intermission. The Yellow Jackets got within 45-32, but the Owls answered with a 13-0 run.
“It’s a tough place to play. It’s a rivalry game and you never know what’s going to happen in a rivalry game. They played well and we pulled away in the second half,” Joshua coach Brandt Lockhart said. “I think we wore them down in the first half with the press, got some turnovers and easy layups.”
Stone got a baseline dunk in the third quarter and Joshua got layups by Marriot, Trenton Lane and Nathaniel Fernandez in the fourth to help Joshua sweep Cleburne for the first time in 30 years.
Joshua (11-10, 7-4) has a 3-game district win streak, its most district wins and a district winning record for the first time in 20 years. Lane added 11 for the Owls. Rice and Marriot chipped in eight apiece.
“I came here four years ago and these guys were freshmen. They do a great job in practice getting ready for each game. I have eight seniors and it would mean everything to Joshua,” Lockhart said. “The town is talking boys basketball these last two years and it would be awesome to break the 39-year drought.”
