Dillingham fuels Klein Collins comeback

Klein Forest started off like a team that might compete for not only a district title but a legitimate shot at making a run in R2 . Leading after one 20-6 behind Ekiyah Gray's eight points (two threes) and Regina Scott's four rebounds, this appeared to be a blowout however no one told Dominique Dillingham. The Mississippi State signee completely took over the game scoring 14 points in the second quarter on her way to 28 points

Twelve unanswered points by KC to start the second quarter changed the momentum considerably especially when Deisree Davis picked up her third foul in the half. Infiniti Harris (11) and Jasmine Nash (10) got into the scoring act for KC the final three quarters while Kelly Festervand (10) seemed to pick up baskets at the right time throughout the game

Ebony Parker got hot in the second half and finished with 12 points as she and Jeliah Preston (11) tried to help turn this thing around after falling behind double digits in the second half but it was too late. Gray finished with 21 while Scott added 10 in the 65-59 loss

Davis ready to help take KF another step

Showtime today as Klein Collins travels to Klein Forest in a district showdown at 2 pm and although a normal person may have had enough of GBB after what I just witnessed, I'm not normal in so many ways. Neither is this match-up as two of the districts best players are winding their senior seasons out in style. Dominique Dillingham is keeping KC going with a dash of the new look Sunshine Band while Desiree Davis is running the show for a team that might do some damage come February

GPR and Fullcourt double duty

I'll be doing a "Holiday" Tip Sheet for Fullcourt.com noting many of the top performances I saw from players during both events, I already did "The Game", no repeats there and I'll do one just on Duncanville.

Did I see everyone? No but I saw a lot, I even missed Miss Triple Double a future MDAA, yep I'm calling it now so it's now how you fall, it's how you get up afterwards. Stay tuned!!!!!

Mansfield Rotary and Sandra Meadows talent unmatched

By now you know Cedar Hill and Duncanville won the Mansfield Rotary and Sandra Meadows Classic tournaments respectively. Did you know that they are in the same district?  Mansfield Timberview was runner up in the Mansfield Rotary while Desoto finished third in Sandra Meadows and they too are in District 7, Region 1 which tells you a lot about the competition.

Not only did I get to see some of the best teams in R1, I also saw Plano West who may come out of R2 with ease however I'm sure a finally somewhat healthy The Woodlands squad will have plenty to say. What about Clear Springs and Bellaire battling it out in R3, there a  saying it's hard to beat a team three times, but I have my own saying and Manvel will have to go through both to get out of here. San Antonio Wagner didn't look as good as they did in Peggy Whitley but they are still the second best team I've seen in R4 behind Cibolo Steele, this of course since Caldwell is out of the equation at SA Johnson.

Stories galore are coming as I let my mind wander and backtrack through the best three days of solid basketball I've seen in along time

Finally, let me thank Raymond Meeks (Mansfield Rotary) and Steve Martin (Sandra Meadows) for not only their hospitality but also the chance for me to watch some of the most talented teams along with some of the best players in the state. I'm already looking forward to next year..

I witnessed "The Game"

Rhyshinique Bell is going to make my All Unsigned team for the DFW area  events and this one, well all the names I list, have me scratching my head. How good is she? She's an undersized post on one of the top teams in the state that knows her role. Her 8 first quarter points helped get Clear Springs rolling as she finished with 13. This young lady played her heart out while battling flu like symptoms the whole game and was a big reason why this will forever be noted by me as "The Game"

Grace Horn will make the same list as she scored all 9 of her points in the overtime periods. Horn made huge decisions and plays during those overtime periods and in a game in which you have four players foul out and six with four fouls combined from both teams, you get an idea on how big her play turned out to be

Please on the link for the tip sheet from THE GAME

Coming up tomorrow "The Game"

Paige Tippet and Alysse Dowdy aren't household names however they are as big a part of the success  Clear Springs has had over the past few years as anyone else. They might not have the numbers however a little something called  "the intangibles" play a big role in the make or break game

In "The Game" Tippet nailed a huge three late in regulation while also making a huge block in overtime, which actually wound up forcing another one. Dowdy made some big baskets in overtime but none as huge as some key free throws to help keep the marathon going

Tomorrow, I'll do tip sheet on the "Fantastic Four" from each team, hope you enjoy reading it as much I will writing it

Message received from Sandra Meadows Classic

They came, they saw, they conquered, well maybe not but they came and saw because once again Duncanville won the Sandra Meadows Classic and you can cap this win with an exclamation point. I wrote after the Texas Invitational that Duncanville was better than last seasons team at the same point, anyone who saw or kept up with last seasons state championship should understand this next statement. I truly believe this team is better than last seasons.

Plano West and Clear Springs are the next best teams I've seen and after they battled in a 107-105 five overtime masterpiece, also an offensive record in which Plano West won, Duncanville jumped out on Plano West early in the championship game and  turned the heat up so hot in the second quarter that all which remained would be a final score and 64-32 is how it ended

I'll have more on my three day journey that started at Mansfield Timberview and ended at Duncanville during the week, by the way Cedar Hill defeated Timberview 61-59 in the Mansfield Rotary but here is a link that will answer many questions until I return

2012 SANDRA MEADOWS CLASSIC

Mansfield Rotary final set

 I missed seeing Lauren Cox however Natalie Chow and Joyner Holmes were very impressive as the top three players in the 2016 class were all doing their things. Chow's team, Plano West, is still in the mix in the semis at Sandra Meadows while Holmes squad, Cedar Hill, will face Mansfield Timberview in the finals of the Mansfield Rotary Invitational Tournament. While Chow scored 18 in her teams 5 OT thriller, Holmes scored 22 on the same evening as she helped lead Cedar Hill to victory

How about Lili Thompson's offensive barrage throughout the tournament! On day one, she was highlight reel waiting to be loaded on the projector as she simply went off and glancing at the box scores, I see nothing has changed as her 20 points was high for Timberview in their victory over Flower Mound Marcus

Sandra Meadows semifinal preview

The bad news is I'm wide awake as I get ready for a long and probable day filled with excitement however the good news is that I'm still pumped about last nights match-up between Plano West and Clear Springs that henceforth when you hear me talk about "The Game" you'll know it had nothing to do with BET however I "bet" today's action will be a must see

Desoto vs Plano West-If the Lady Wolves have anything left after "The Game" then this should be interesting. Plano West is the second best team I've seen in the state however this isn't the same Desoto I saw at the TI back in November when they came to Houston. Playing almost 12 hours from an exhausting win has got to be a factor this morning as this game tips off at 9am

 When I first saw Overton on the schedule "Living Single" popped in my head however unlike the show which can only be seen in syndication, this team provided a lot of entertainment live and  "In Living Color". The Lady Wolverines came from Tennessee to send a message and they have to go against the best team in the state and one of the top squads in the country, Duncanville.

Kelsey Briggs (Georgetown) is a 6'2 specimen that can do just about anything however don't let Philecia Atkins fool you as Nekia Jones showed everyone that looks can be deceiving, Atkins did the same yesterday ala step back three or a 40 foot no look pass on the money, yes she hit that one

Sandra Meadows Classic heats up arena

After observing the first couple of minutes of the game between Clear Springs and Plano West I used the hashtag #downtothewire in one of my initial tweets about the game. I never knew how prophetic that would turn out to be as Plano Wet wound up winning 107-105 in five overtimes, that's right, FIVE

This was one of the best games I have witnessed live in my life, at any level, please take into consideration I rolled with my daughter's Texas A&M team when they won a national championship. This game was filled with excitement and several lesser known players were stars at different points tonight, I think I'll do a tip sheet on this game by itself. More to come on this and my fun Friday in Duncanville after I regroup

Mansfield Rotary off and running

The Elite 8 is set so the question is will Timberview advance to the finals again this season. Well that's one of the questions as several teams are in a position to make statements that could trickle over into the postseason. Crowley vs Cedar Hill, Steele vs Canyon, Amarillo vs Timberview and Marcus vs Bowie are the Friday match-ups and after Thursday, who knows which teams will remain standing, read more

Cougars hold off Bobcats

I had a chance to watch a good college game today between a couple of teams that are capable of making some noise in their conferences. Texas State started of slow and fell behind 13-5 in the first five minutes of the game, some of it due to committing four turnovers but a lot of it was because the Cougars went 3-4 from bta, from three different players

U of H extended their lead to 17 in the first half but a Kaylan Martin three cut it to 10 with a little over three minutes remaining in thee half however that was the only three the Bobcats would make as they shot 1-9 while the Coogs went 8-20. U of H was plagued by injuries last season at a variety of positions and when one of those positions is where the game starts at was a recipe for disaster. Porsche Landry is in her final season after red shirting and she showed how valuable a player she is to the team in more ways than one

Landry set the tone early, scoring 15 in the first half while navigating the offense on the floor. On one play, Landry was assessed a turnover because her teammate didn't meet the ball. Rather than go off like I used to do, she explained it calmly to the freshman, my way wasn't the same but whatever works. Speaking of freshman, Alecia Smith (Cedar Hill) had me scratching my head the whole second half as her 15 points in the final 20 minutes help thwart every Texas State comeback

Both teams have talented young players that I've watched grow considerably over their careers and I'm looking forward to seeing both teams again

Back to back Diamond Fords

This has got to be a GPR first as I watch a next level player the day after watching a future next level player with the same name. Texas State vs U of H at high noon, while last night Westfield hosted "The Taz"

How about that!!!!!!!!

Frantic Friday has promising players

It's that time of year when a triple header spread across the city might not be the best thing for someone with limited patience dealing with bumper to bumper traffic for hours however somehow I managed to accomplish most of what I set out to do. First thing was observe the progression of some of our teams younger players as Langham Creek battled Cy Springs in a fight to the finish. Crystal Battle and Kirsten Brown are a couple of freshmen who are nearing that turning point and their hard work is paying off

Time change at Westfield really messed my day up but I got their early enough to see EJ Bryant doing her thing on JV for the Mustangs against Atascocita

I also had a chance to see one of the best freshman in the country that isn't playing, Hanna Hopkins (Atascocita) who is out with a knee injury. You'll be reading a lot about this young lady on GPR over the next few years, I liked her the first time I saw her during the summer and she has a promising future ahead

Equally promising is the Atascocita team who has made leaps and bounds since seeing them a few weeks ago. Filled with young talented  players, sophomore Anacia Wilkinson and another freshman, Aimee Brown, these two along with Hopkins may be the "Big Three" of the future

Scratch that, you may be dealing with a Fantastic Four, even more Fantastic Five or a Terrific Team as several bright stars caught my eye. Sophomore Shae Moore led all scorers with 16 points followed by Aimee Brown (12), her sister Shatarah (11) and Brittany Bennett (10).

I'll see "The Taz" next week in Duncanville, they open up against Bishop Lynch on Thursday, I'll miss that one, but I'll catch their round two or three game for sure

Temple Of Doom ready for Sandra Meadows

Tyesha Taylor, Katera Chapel and Alyssa Jones make up the nucleus of a team that has a record of 15-3, one of those wins against Manvel in the TI. Jones is one of the top guards remaining in the state that hasn't signed and they are on a collision course  to meet.........in the SMC

2009 revisited

I guess this could have been called an area 2009 weekend reunion but I really had my mind on other things however since I slept through the world coming to an end, or maybe it did and this is an alternate universe where using my copyrighted articles are legal, but I'm pretty sure it didn't because if it did, I wouldn't be able to remember things the way only I can recall them.

Last night, Zoe Rogers (Rice), tonight Jasmin Henderson (Lamar) and tomorrow, Diamond Ford, (Texas State) are playing in town and all three were among the top 2009 players in the area on three o f the top high school teams during that time. Rogers (Bellaire), Henderson (Dulles) and Ford (Hightower)

Tonight Henderson and the Cardinals will be at Sharp taking on HBU and tomorrow Ford  leads the Bobcats to Hofheinz to take on U of H.

Hofheinz brings back old memories from when I was a kid watching the Rockets and I remember Bob McAdoo and Pete Maravich scoring over 50, yeah, same world.

Rogers clutch down stretch for Rice

Zoe Rogers is another young lady from the area I've watched since before she was in middle school and here she is, a senior in college. Her performance last night down the stretch brought back old memories as she did  some of the same things so many times while she was at Bellaire HS After tying the game with a turn around jumper with 5:35, she added both ends of a one and one a couple of minutes later, 39-37, and then another free throw with under two minutes remaining, 40-37

Megan Palmer

Nakachi Maduka sealed the 43-41 victory nailing two free throws with .10 seconds remaining as she led the Owls with 12 points, followed by Rogers 10 and  Christal Porter pulled down a career high 14 rebounds. The Owls were without C-USA Freshman Of the Week Megan Palmer who took a hard fall earlier this week however she'll be back next week when the Owls host Lamar. UTSA was led by Simone Young's 12 points and Whitney Wright's 13 rebounds

Former DFW teammates meet in DISD

Breanna Hayden and Roshunda Johnson

Whoa, I know CH mentioned this but my mind works, well that's not important. What is important is the fact that Arkansas Parkview is playing Dallas Madison off the top in the DISD Coca Cola Tournament.
Even more important is  Madison's Breanna Hayden (Baylor) and Parkview's  Roshunda Johnson (Oklahoma State) are going at it right off the top. After playing several seasons for DFW Elite, these two "Top 100" young ladies will continue going at it in the  Big 12.

UTSA brings local talent home tonight

Freshman Akunna Elonu comes from a basketball family, search bar at top will help you a lot. After helping lead Elsik into an area powerhouse which included a trip to Austin, she is now making the transition for UTSA. Tonight, she and former MacArthur standout Miki Richards will be at Tudor to take on the Rice Owls which has some local talent as well. Zoe Rogers (Bellaire), Megan Shafer (College Park) and Megan Palmer (Cinco Ranch) and all made a lot of noise in the area. Palmer was recently named C-USA Freshman Of The Week

13-5A toughest district in area

Megan Temple

This has happened before and it will happen again as the power shifts across the area as far as teams capable of not only making the playoffs but even winning some districts, even though they won't make the postseason in their own districts

Right now, Klein Forest and Dekaney are undefeated while Klein Collins and Spring have only one loss but then things get even more jumbled and will continue as the season progresses. Kingwood and Klein are withing striking distance and with Kingwood's youth, they will be a team to reckon with in the future. The new look Klein has some young talent as well but Megan Temple's dominance on the inside has had much to do with their success

Long shots Atascocita, Klein Oak and Westfield could win some districts even though they are probably out of the playoffs however I've seen stranger things happen and they could conceivably make runs. Even though Westfield is 0-6, three of their losses have been by five or less and one of those losses was in overtime while the other occurred the last 30 seconds of a game and when you have an offensive machine like Kylah Jones, anything is possible.

Atascocita travels to Westfield tomorrow, whoever loses probably is officially out, I haven't nor will I take the time to figure it our right now, but that game will be part of my triple-header

The Chosen One tells why

Brooke McCarty shares her thoughts with @hshopefuls on why she chose the Longhorns

Parkview heading to DISD

Roshunda Johnson is one of the top players in the country and after watching her live and in living color with DFW Elite, there is no doubt that she'll be making some noise at Oklahoma State. With that being said, she won't be quiet next week either as her Arkansas HS team, Parkview, will be playing in the DISD Coaca Cola Tournament


EVENTS

Tough breaks at the Ranch(es)

Sydney Coleman (Cy Ranch)

Cinco Ranch and Cy Ranch were going to make some noise this season as both would compete not only for district title but in this wide open area, a possible trip to Austin wasn't completely out of the question, especially for Cy Ranch who has been on a tear, winning both the FBISD and SBISD tournaments while being runner-up in the Katy Nike Classic

Taylor Williams (Cinco Ranch)

Cinco's Williams tore hers a few weeks ago and I just found out Coleman just recently tore hers which makes things a little tougher for both teams as far as getting out of here. Williams has already signed with UTSA while Coleman, one of the top prospects in the area for 2014 will land on her feet as well.

College action this week

Saturday Texas State comes to town to play U of H while on Thursday, UTSA battles Rice and Friday HBU hosts Lamar. Several former local stars will be on hand for all three games including Diamond Ford and Ashley Ezeh who are combing for 36 ppg for Texas State.

The plan is to be at all three and based on the early high school action.............

Variety of teams on hand for Willis Tournament

From last seasons 5A runner-up Dekaney to an impressive home school team, SATCH, the Willis Tournament has a little bit of everything as they've been added to the EVENTS tab.

I'll be in the Dallas area covering their "Big Three" but there will be some action in the area


EVENTS

Eagles slow down Mustangs

Westfield has been in some close games over the past couple of weeks in district play. Let's see, an overtime loss at Spring in which Kylah Jones scored 25 before fouling out early in the overtime period. A home loss to Kingwood by three after an inadvertent whistle caused a tying three to be negated. Last night, another tough loss by five against a team capable of winning district, Klein Forest at the Eagles home court.

Westfield was down 8-0 early in ball game however somehow managed to regroup and go on a run evening the ballgame at 10 after one. With Kylah Jones scoring almost at will and Diamond Ford cleaning up on defense, the Mustangs were looking impressive with five minutes left in the half and leading 17-13, that's outscoring the Eagles 17-5 over the last seven minutes

The Eagles manages to retake the lead 32-29 at the half however based on how the season has gone, I'm thinking this could be a potential upset but after watching the Eagles get offense from a variety of  players throughout the first three quarters, I knew that chance was going to be slim as it was 50-39 heading into the home stretch

Ekiyah Gray, Ebony Parker, Regina Scott and Jalea Preston are the juniors I said as freshmen would turn the  KF program around and although I may not be 100% on calling certain things, don't bet against me as this foursome has simply done what I anticipated and no matter how well Westfield played, they were not going to let their team lose as each scored 12 points

Westfield made another run in the final period but couldn't pull it off losing 53-48. Jones led the Mustangs with 17 points however Laurne Rhodes and Miranda Koulianas came up with big baskets throughout the ballgame not to mention Ford's gutsy performance underneath as she finished the game wearing a patch

KF will still be in the running for a district title, they don't face Dekaney until next year and the Mustangs playoff hopes may still be alive and after the way they played last night, I've seen stranger things happed

Gray and Parker helping KF roll

Ekiyah Gray and Ebony Parker are combining for more than half of Klein Forest points this season as they are off to a 13-2 start. Tonight they host Westfield, more to come as I'll be checking the action out