Coleman helps Cy Ranch advance past Eisenhower

Sydney Coleman played like there was no tomorrow and had her Mustangs team lost, that would be the case, well at least for high school. The TCU commit was everything I envisioned after watching her as a 7th grader as her 17 points and probably close to the same amount of rebounds were huge in their 52-39 victory. Eisenhower led 13-8 after one as Shequeria Debose was trying to send her own message because Debose was hurt during last seasons pregame warm-ups featuring these same two teams

I tweeted  Arianna Whitfield had turned a corner and I was talking both literally and figuratively as her improvement and ability to get to the rim from almost any angle was huge. Ranch was down 15-12 with four minutes left in half when she went to work offensively. Rachel Tapps, came in and did what she does and on a cold night the heat was  turned up on defense and by the time the half ended, Coleman had her double-double or was close to it and Ranch had the lead 22-17

In the third quarter Deauzya Richards came in and joined the act, Richards has been out with a bruised rib and hit some big baskets but it was a variety of Mustangs hitting big shots when needed. Whether it was Abby Davis or Madison Keating, someone other than Coleman got into the act but the game still starts at the one and Louisiana Lafayette signee Cienna Rivera was simply masterful at creating for her teammates as well as herself

Ike was without sharpshooter Sonerka White, she's another player capable of going off offensively. Debose led the Eagles with 14 followed by Jonisia Jackson's 10. White has been sidelined for over a month with a knee injury and her ability to stretch the defense was missed. With that being said, Jhavani Thompson't three late in the game cut the Ranch lead to three but Rivera to Coleman for a bucket, then Rivera with a steal and two free throws sealed it. Ranch moves on to play Seven Lakes in the next round

Debose keeps Ike close and makes Tip Sheet

Size certainly doesn't matter for Shaqueria Debose, one of the top points in the area. She knows how to get everyone involved for Ike yet she also knows when to take over

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Eisenhower alone in 18-5A

Eisenhower star PG Shaqueria Debose was on hand at familiar territory last weekend, the Campbell Center, for the NAIA shoootout. Debose, one of the top points in the area along Jonisha Jackson and Sonerka White are just of the reasons the Eagles are leading district 18-5A

Standings 

Klein Forest holds on against Ike

Klein Forest is picked by many as well as me to make a run this season and I know what Eisenhower is capable of doing so with proximity, this was a no brainier. Like most opening day games, this one wasn't pretty,easy shots missed, turnovers and fouls dominated most of the first game and a combined 13 points in the third sort of gives you an idea however one thing I know is that both teams are better than they played and come February is truly all that matters

Jonisha Jacks was virtually unstoppable in the first half as she scored 10 points and probably had close to 10 rebounds for Ike who jumped out to a 10 -7 lead midway through the opening quarter, Ekiya Gray with six of those seven points. Jalea Preston's three tied the game at 12 and another gave a 15-14 lead after one. One thing about KF is that they have firepower from everywhere and Regina Scott took over in the second quarter. Scott and Johnson happen to be two of the best 5-9 posts in the city and both mad their presence felt throughout the opening half

Scott injured her finger and didn't return in the second half and after appeared KF was going to run off with it, Sonerka White and Shaqueria Debose caught fire for Ike. White is a smooth scorer that can shoot the long ball and get to the hole while Debose simply got wherever she wanted to on the floor whenever she wanted . Destiny Vincent and Tiara Marbley showed a lot of improvement and more importantly confidence as there energy throughout the game made things happen

Down the stretch, Preston and Gray simply refused to let KF win and I'll catch them again tomorrow in the SBISD against Cy Falls.

Box score

Eisenhower cruises to victory over Porter

This should be an interesting year in District 18 as Elsik will be challenged for the title for the first time in the last four seasons. In making my rounds, I wanted to see the competition they would be facing so Eisenhower was my choice last night and after watching the Eagles play, this should wind up being a tighter race than before

Eisenhower jumped out on Porter and never looked back as Shaqueria Debose continues to be the catalyst for the Eagles while Jonisia Jackson controlled the inside and Jiavini Thompson attacked from every angle.

Can Elsik win district again? I haven't seen Nimitz play yet and they too are probably in the running along with Ike. One things for sure, you can't count Elsik out and with their 54-52 victory over Hastings last night, they are working on season number five without a district loss so it will be interesting to see which of these three teams comes out on top

Cy Ranch travels to Ike and I'm thinking last season "What If "

 When you talk about bad luck and injuries, the Cy Ranch Mustangs immediately come to mind and when you lose key players, well that create problems as far as the season goes. Last season, they were without Sydney Coleman, who tore her knee not long after their FBISD title, then injuries late in the season to Kara Cezar and Ashley O'Block sort of set the tone on how it would end and that happened to be in the second round against Bellaire

I play back the first round in my head when the Mustangs played Eisenhower at Campbell Center and starting point guard Shaquerio Debose rolled her ankle, during the pregame warm-ups and here's the question of the day, where does the game start? Tonight it's a rematch at Ike and Ranch is coming off an impressive Katy Nike Classic victory and did they did it with Cezar, DiDi Richards and GPR UTR Rachel Tapps all sitting from the sideline

Here's tonight's schedule but remember, always double check

SCHEDULE

Logistics, weather and match-up has doubleheader picked for tonight

Cy Creek's unsigned senior Darianne Williams is having a huge season as her Cougar team have exceeded any expectations I had but then again the way Williams has performed this season, I'm not that surprised. Creek takes on Nimitz in the nightcap following Cy Ranch vs Eisenhower, one of those 1 vs 4 match-ups that could proved interesting

Last season the same teams met in the opening round and Cy Ranch won however Eisenhower was without PG Shaqueria Debose who rolled her ankle in the pregame warm-ups

The games are at Klein Collins, for a complete area schedule, read more

Aldine Tournament November 21-23

The Aldine Tournament and Texas Invitational are going on the same time so I'll have to play this one by ear as I alternate between the two events. One of the reasons, well two, are pictured above, Shaqueira Debose (Eisenhower)and Alacharion King (Nimitz) are two of the areas best players you may not know about and both have the ability to help lead their respective teams on a run, not just in the Aldine Tournament but when it really counts in February. The list has been updated again, still contemplating Nov 8 road trip

Events

Lady Ballers back-court help lead them to finals

The Houston Lady Ballers defeated the Dallas Stars in a grueling match-up that went down to the wire 55-52. A'lachanon King and Shaqueria Debose provided much of the firepower throughout the tournament and proved to be one of the best duos in the Prime Time National Championship event. The Lady Ballers lost in the Championship Bracket final to Team Spirit 65-55 however King proved time and time again she was one of the top players in the tournament and also one of the toughest, check the video.

Ike faces test off the top @ Klein Forest

Sonerka White

Since baseball is over and this analogy Tuesday, compare my coverage to a Golden Glove shortstop because I'm start triple plays and covering all the bases for yet another season. Eisenhower tied Elsik for second in district last season one game behind Nimitz and the senior heavy team might just be the front runner this season. Ike was a on a roll coming off a season ending victory against Nimitz however Shaqueria Debose rolled an ankle in the pregame warm-ups against Cy Ranch in the first round and, one more time, the game starts at the one

Tonight they have their hands full against the team I'm picking to win District 13, however Dekaney and Kingwood both have shots at proving me wrong and there's nothing I love more than being wrong, well on team predictions, because that means it's going to be some action and I won't doze off #noblowoutsplease

Rice hosts Alcorn State as Ike great Dubose returns home November 28th

Shaqueria Dubose is graduate of the #sizedontmatter club as she simply did two things I truly love in point guards, get her teammates involved and if necessary, take things into her hands and over her career at Eisenhower she definitely was a player that made those around her better. Dubose  comes to town with her Alcorn State team to face a hot Rice Owls squad that just came off a Monday night victory against A&M Corpus Christi

Game time is tomorrow, the day after THANKSGIVING at 6pm and here's a recap of Dubose who I was spelling Debose but  read more

Spring comeback helps them win Aldine Tournament

Bernesha Peters gives everything she has every time she steps on the court and her high octane game, which happens on each of the court helped propel Springs comeback victory of Eisenhower in the AISD Tournament. Peters dropped 22 while Brittany smooth, one of the smoothest payers in the area, added 16.

Eisenhower was led by Jonisa Jackson with 17 points followed by Jiavana Thompson with 13 and Shaqueria Debose with 12. Ike jumped out to a 14-5 lead after one but were outscored in each of the next three quarters, based on the box score, and lost 56-54