Lipan lets a big first-half lead slip away, but rallies to win the Class 2A state crown

The Lipan boys basketball team let a 17-point first-half lead slip away, but the Indians rallied late to escape with a 50-46 victory over LaRue LaPoynor in the Class 2A state championship game on Saturday at the Alamodome.

Lipan (38-1), No. 1 in the final TABC Class 2A state poll, captured its fifth state title in 14 tournament appearances.

Garrett Smith, Tripp Phillips, Cole Reynolds and Tate Branson had all started for the Indians on the varsity since they were freshmen and after reaching the state tournament the past two seasons without a title, the four seniors were dead set on not letting this one slip away.

“There’s no better feeling than right now,” said Smith, the championship game Most Valuable Player. “I don’t even know how to describe it.

“ The amount of hours we spend in the gym, all the hard work, all the long practices and us sitting in the locker room an hour after practice talking about how we wanted to go win a state championship. Coming up short the last two years has just made us work harder and now we can finally say that we’ve done it. It feels awesome.”

Smith finished with 21 points, including three of four from beyond the arc, and had 11 in the first quarter as the Indians built a 27-10 lead by the 5:02 mark of the second quarter.

But from that point Lipan struggled from the field as No. 2 LaPoynor (33-8) went on a 21-7 run. Dijuan Whitehead’s lay up with 2:30 left in the third quarter pulled the Flyers to within 34-31.

Whitehead led LaPoynor with 15 points with Cooper Gracey scoring 14 to go along with four assists.

“I was so proud of their mental toughness,” said Lipan coach Brent Gaylor. “It’s so easy in those situations in games like this to get frustrated, but I kept tell our guys that we’re too good of a team and you’re too good of players to keep missing all of these shots.”

Mann Scott, who had 10 points for the Flyers, tied the game at 39 with 6:27 left in the game on a three-pointer. From that point LaPoynor held on to a slim lead until there were 44 seconds left.

“I told them at the end of the third quarter that we were going to win this game,” said Gaylor. “We are too good of a team to come this far and not do it. I can say that, kind of as a coaching strategy I guess, but then in the fourth quarter when we were coming over on time outs and I hear Tate Branson getting in everyone’s face telling them that we were going to win this game that’s when they started believing it too.”

After two Korey Massie free throws for Lipan cut the Flyers’ lead to 46-45, Reese Cook forced a loose ball that Cole Reynolds was able to corral and get a time out.

Out of the time out Tripp Phillips threaded the needle with a perfect bounce pass to Smith who laid it in while getting fouled.

“We were down at the time and I knew we needed a bucket,” said Smith. Tripp made a phenomenal pass. I said during the time out ‘let’s go out and execute’ and that’s what we did.

“We weren’t going to lose. I had it in my head that I wasn’t going to miss the shot. I had already told myself that I was going to make the shot and getting the foul and making the free throw was even better.”

Down now 48-46, LaPoynor had one last shot and worked the ball for a shot, but a steal and two more made free throws by Smith put the game away.

Lipan has seven total seniors on their 11-man roster this season. Lipan has gone 104-9 over the past three years in reaching the state tournament. Lipan lost in the regional semifinals in 2020, so it was only fitting that the four seniors that have started since they were freshmen finally take home a title.

“These guys are just incredible,” said Gaylor. “These seven seniors in particular have won so many games over the last several years for Lipan basketball and been such a big part of our program. They continue the tradition that we’ve had and I’m just so happy for them.

“We took a step further last year and I told them last night ‘let’s take that final step’. Our motto all year has been ‘can’t leave without it’ and happy to say that these guys aren’t leaving without it this year.”

This story was originally published March 11, 2023 at 5:19 PM.