Texas Playoff Recap Courtesy Of Passthaball

Ozen didn't make as well as several others who got knocked off early but here's a chance to relive some of the highlights. If you ever had any second thoughts about seeing is believing, be sure to watch Nekia Jones handle the ball

What's Next For Clear Springs?

Clear Springs jumped out on Elsik in the first quarter and appeared to be headed for a blowout but things took a dramatic twist along the way as the Rams came back for the second straight season to pull off the upset. What does this mean? The scope of next seasons contenders will change tremendously, that story will be coming up soon and many teams like this seasons R3 finalists, Cy Falls and Elsik, will have to do some regrouping

The Chargers won't have to replace much as others as they lose three seniors, one of them being the athletic Aaliyah Brown who at 5'8 at times appeared as if she was 6 inches taller. Other than that, Brooke McCarty will be a junior while Courtney Latham, Kaylin Roher and Jo Lira will be seniors and they are seasoned veterans who will have something to prove

Another senior, Ryshinique Ball, was a bright spot in the playoffs and performed adequately during the season when she was in the starting lineup due to injuries to various players. With a squad like that, the Chargers will be in the mix once again and although I haven't studied the realignment it's possible they could be in their 3rd straight R3 F-4

Swish Appeal Article on Jefferson and Jones

ALEXIS JONES

I never met Nate Parham however we started talking online during the Texas A&M run last season and it's always refreshing to chat with someone who truly understands not only basketball but breaking down the little things. He did a story on two of the best players in the country, Moriah Jefferson and Alexis Jones, both from Texas and both with bright futures ahead at the next level

SWISH APPEAL

MORIAH JEFFERSON

Both have the "it" factor I look at in guards, well point guards to be more specific. You have those who can basically run your offense while protecting the ball, those who are often referred to as the "Iverson" types which shoot first pass later but I've always been impressed with those who could not only take over games but make their teammates better just by being on the floor. Jones proved just that while playing for her dad in club ball the past two seasons, in fact summer before last, the Lady Cardinals were giving some of the heavy hitters all they could handle.

While she was playing on one of the US teams this summer her club team was only average showing what a difference one player of her caliber could actually make. Jefferson on the other hand did the same thing with her home school team, THESA, who competed with some of the top programs in the state and often came away victorious. Although I give the edge to Jones as being the better of the two, Jefferson has kept adding things to her game and over the past summer with the #1 club team, DFW T-Jack, she actually put that star studded team on her back several times resulting in victories

You never know how this stuff will turn out at the next level as players games are changed to fit different systems however these young ladies have truly left a lasting impression with me as being two of the best players I have ever seen

Southland Conference Tournament Starts Next Week

Wanna see some exciting and entertaining college basketball? Then head on over to the Merrell Center to see if McNeese State will defend their title. What's at stake is a trip to the "Big Dance"

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE:
Tuesday, March 6
Women's Quarterfinals: Noon, 2:30 p.m., 6 p.m., 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 8

Women's Semifinals: Noon, 2:30 p.m.




Friday, March 9

Women's Championship, 7 p.m. 

SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT 

Private Schools Still Alive

St Pius has had their share of ups and down this season however it appears they have now come together and they are one game away from playing for a state championship

First things first as they have a tall order to face in Bishop Lynch featuring 6'4 freshman sensation Ashley Hearn

Here's the schedule for all the area private school teams

Cy Falls Looking For Another Ending

Sadalia Ellis doesn't want this game to end like it did the first time Cy Falls played Duncanville this season. She was playing with the after effects of a virus which visibly showed her speed had been slowed down a bit. She will need to be as close to 100% as possible if they have any chance of beating Duncanville. Empress Davenport is simply a beast, with a college ready body, she would be putting up numbers at Texas right now

Tasia Forman was simply unstoppable the first go round and those who had a chance to witness the first meeting saw they have more that Davenport in their arsenal

DUNCANVILLE HAS EYE ON PRIZE

Elsik Leaves Lasting Memories

Jasmine Ocanas didn't say anything about the phantom foul called on her that fouled her out and could have possibly cost Elsik the R3 title again. Her only words were she was proud of her team, she was happy for Cy Falls and was glad they had the opportunity to go last season. In this day and age, that speaks volumes and which is why this team will leave it's mark as one of the most unselfish and courageous squads to come out of the area


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Dekaney Delivers Down Stretch

In my preseason poll, Dekaney was one of the lowest ranked teams out of the ten I figured that had a shot at being the best in the area. They lost on opening day to North Shore and haven't been defeated since then which translates into a 39 game winning streak. Along the way, they have knocked off some heavy hitters, defeating Hightower and Manvel in the Fort Bend ISD Tournament while taking care of both Clear Springs and Cy Falls at home, not to mention a team I thought that had a chance to get them in the playoffs, Desoto. Based on the pairings, the next major obstacle they could possibly face is Duncanville who I called the best team I've seen all season. Before that happens, Dekaney has to beat San Antonio Reagan and the Panthers have to beat the Cy Falls Eagles again but that in itself might not be as easy as it was the first time

More on the Dekaney vs San Antonio Reagan match-up

STATE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Cougars Hold Off Central Florida

 It was senior day at Hofheinz Pavilion as Roxana Button and Michelle White were honored before the game

 The young ladies combined for 21 points in the Cougars upset victory over Central Florida in a game UCF couldn't afford to lose as they are now facing the possibility of finishing as low as 8th while a win could have placed them in a position to finish as high 4th

This has been a trying year for the Cougars who have simply faced more injuries than any other area team I can remember, some games playing with as few as seven players and many times the majority of the players were freshmen. One freshmen who has been a bright s;pot is Danielle Parks who starred at St Pius. Parks lit UCF up for 24 points in the 65-53 victory, while two other freshmen, Amanda Lawson, 10 rebounds, and Terran Alford 10 points, made contributions to the victory as well.

Kayli Keough led the Knights with 17 points, followed by Andrea Hines with 11 and a double-double from Aisha Patrick, 10 pts 11 reb

This game also marked the return of Westfield great Gervenia Carter who came in and helped ignite a rally with a steals and assists. Carter joined Tyesha Jackson and Takia Starks as Top 100 players from Westfield who was one of the top teams in the area for a very long time

Speaking of former hometown stars, Porsche Landry was scheduled to be honored with Button and White however she is one of the Cougars that has been sidelined with injuries. With Landry coming back, the addition of the incoming class and the players who are in place, the Cougars could wind up surprising many and may be close to a Top 25 squad next season

Climb Doesn't Get Easier For Barbers Hill

Barbers Hill pulled off one of the most memorable upsets in Regional history. Not only did they win, they won in a big way against the #1 ranked team in the state who was also undefeated, Beaumont Ozen. The question is can they do it against Mansfield Summit on Thursday? If they beat the top team in the state the way they did, well that's your answer.

More on the match-up

Here's the schedule for the state tournament 

5A Match-ups

Carol Willie is going to have to play just as big as she did against Elsik as Cy Falls has drawn Duncanville while Dekaney will play San Antonio Reagan. Here are the highlights from IMAC vs DVILLE

Goodwin Proves To Be Missing Link

You never know how things are going to work out in basketball, this applies to every level you play along the way. When you transfer, especially in your high school senior season, that has got to be hard when you consider you're leaving behind friends you have known most of your life along with players you have developed a bond with not to mention going into a situation that could be hostile and non receptive. All of these challenges could have been there when Loryn Goodwin arrived at Cy Falls however none of them came of up. I wondered how well she would fit in, my questions were addressed opening day

THESE EAGLES ARE NOT READY TO LAND

She has given them the lost offense and rebounds missing from last seasons starting lineup plus another guard that can attack the basket at will. Cy Falls two losses this season are to Duncanville and Dekaney, both by single digits and both teams are in state representing their regions. Tomorrow the match-ups will be posted and trust me, Cy Falls is playing one of them off the top while the other will probably make it to the finals. If that's the case, the Eagles will have a chance to avenge both losses but until then, they will celebrate their championship as just another GOOD-WIN !!!

Check out the story EAGLES GET IT DONE

May Helps Eagles Climb A Little Higher

66-39 is what I probably would have expected if the only question I asked was what the final score was. I did not expect Barbers Hill to win this game, in fact when they played Clear Falls on Friday night, with a break here and there, the Eagles might not have even had the chance to play Beaumont Ozen. On the flip side, the Panthers played the best game I saw them play against Manvel who has to be wondering how this would have turned out had they made over half the free throw and layups they missed but I guess I should have seen this coming. I expected the Eagles to be playing the Mavericks, Ozen did not look good against Summer Creek and did not play well against Huntsville, yet they did look like a state contender most of the game against Manvel

Barbers Hill on the other hand was not overly impressive against Clear Falls even though Kendall Shaw went completely off scoring almost half their points. I said Manvel wasn't Summer Creek when they got ready to play Ozen and by no means is Clear Falls Ozen however the Eagles plan was to simply play their own game and evidently the did it to perfection. Why am I saying evidently? It's because I omitted this game because I didn't want to see a blowout, especially when it was an hour and a half gap between games yet a blowout by a hands down underdog is something I'm sorry I missed however I'm sure some of my friends will supply video. The "Big Three" of Shaw, Shannon Evans and Mackenzie May have played a huge role in the success of Barbers Hill, Shaw the 6'4 dominating post, Evans the point guard that's able to keep the team calm and get the ball to the right people, which is where May came in. The Chronicle has her down for 25, other writers from the game have her scoring as many as 30, I don't know but whichever number you want to pick, she played a huge part in the Eagles flying to Austin.

Area Sends Three Teams To Austin

Barbers Hill pulled off a MAJOR upset in defeating Ozen 66-39

Cy Falls withheld a ferocious never say quit Elsik squad 59-52 and head to Austin for the first time

Dekaney like Cy Falls is heading to Austin for the first time. It's possible Cy Falls will have a chance to avenge their two losses to both Duncanville and Dekaney

Dekaney Girl's Basketball Following Football Team To State

My old saying "it's not what you do it's who you do it against" is something many people should take into consideration when ranking a player, comparing skills or just making observations on how good a player is or how great they will be.. I did a story on Dekaney and said Kayla Nevitt was a Top 100 player and it appears the sky is the limit as she has me using another of my favorite sayings and that is "it's not what you do, it's when you do it".

Kayla and older sister Shunta scored 17 and 14 points respectively in leading the Wildcats to their first state tournament winning 47-42. Kayla Nevitt and Jaleesa Chapell nailed free throws down the stretch for the victory.

The Other Regions

Dekaney is still rolling after a come from behind victory against Desoto while The Woodlands lost to Garland Sasche, a team Desoto had beaten by over 20 earlier which has me a bit confused. The Woodlands lost to Desoto by only two points earlier in the season so maybe Sasche was missing some players when they played Desoto, I wasn't there but the buzz is Dekaney's heading to state. The match-up between Duncanville and Irving MacArthur should be something special and even though I haven't seen IMAC and I know Alexis Jones is one of the best players I have seen in my life, she dropped 44 last night, the Panthers are the best team I've seen in a long time
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Ozen vs Barbers Hill Preview

Undefeated and ranked #1 in the state, Ozen is supposed to win so Barbers Hill has nothing to lose. If The Eagles lose, they can say they lost to the top team in the state and gave their fans the last game within 100 miles they could see their ladies play. Ozen is loaded, this game shouldn't be close but again, Elsik has shown that you can't count anyone out

Cy Falls vs Elsik Preview

Last season Cy Falls was the top rated team in the state when they traveled to Elsik to play the Rams. The left with a victory of close to 30 points which would put fear in the minds of a lot of teams. The problem is Elsik fears no one and two days later in the Katy Tournament, they returned the favor. Those two games were the deciding factors in how there season would end, they beat the number one team in the state so they figured they could beat anyone

Cy Falls look beatable in the first half last night and one thing they can't afford to do is play around with Elsik who unlike North Shore has multiple offensive weapons.

Shaw Simply Unstoppable

Shannon Evans and Kendall Show have been playing together since before middle school, you may have seen that on the blog once or twice so maybe the third time will be a charm as they run into the #1 team in the state Beaumont Ozen for a chance to represent Region 4 in Austin. To do that won't be an easy task and it is not supposed to happen, neither was Elsik representing Region 3 last season or them defeating Clear Springs last night however I've said this before, once you get to this point, anything is possible

 If Erin Farmer doesn't get in foul trouble, this may be another story with a different title however the good news is Clear Falls is young and returns everyone next season but last night they couldn't handle Barbers Hill, losing 43-36 behind 22 points from Kendall Shaw

When I say everyone is back, this includes Madison Ruta who led the Lady Knights with 15 points and when you look at how well they did this season along with the fact that Manvel is moving to 5A, Clear Falls may well be in the mix

Ozen Moves Closer

I knew there would be upsets last night, didn't expect The Woodlands to lose to Sasche however I did think Manvel could pull off the victory against Ozen and even though the game start off with a pace I hoped would continue throughout the night, it didn't and it's didn't. Down 18-15 in the first quarter, Manvel's Jordan Hosey picked up her 2nd foul @ 1:17 and the Mavericks didn't score again during the period and was down 22-15. In fact while Hosey on the bench, the Panthers went on a 12-3 run and extended the lead to 16 at the half

 Jade Castille opened the game with a three and added buckets in between however she is still battling nagging knee injuries and was noticeably hurting after being knocked down several times



Ozen simply had too much firepower and as bad as they had looked against Summer Creek and Huntsville, last night they looked like the best team on the floor, period. Nekia Jones is simply amazing, she can do so many things on the court that you have never seen a player this size do

Manvel missed too many lay-ups and free throws while committing several unforced turnovers and when you look at the final score, 71-61, you know just how close they are. With Brianna Tuner blocking shots whenever she wanted while elevating over defenders on offense, she and Jordan Hosey still have a couple of years left to do big things for the Mavericks

But for now, Ozen is still undefeated the Panthers and Asia Booker have one more HILL to climb before Austin

Goodwin Too Much For Mustangs

Carol Willie and Erin Caldwell are the posts for Cy Falls and they both played well against North Sore however on a night that I saw the two best teams in the area shoot the worst that I've seen them shoot, I figured North Shore might have a chance for an upset but Loryn Goodwin wasn't about to let that happen. Despite five early points from Courtney Williams that kept North Shore close, Goodwin went off early and kept the pace throughout the game. Trailing only 12-11 after one, North Shore didn't score until it was under a minute left in the half. Equally unimpressive was the fact that Cy Falls scored only seven points as it was 19-13 at the half, something I expected the leading scorers from both teams might have

Shernise Robertson heated up while Goodwin continued to do her thing in the third quarter as they held  North Shore to only five points while extending the lead to 35-18 and that was basically the ball game there. North Shore put up an admirable fight just to get here, especially without Monique Bedford who they lost back in December. This is not the way Williams wanted her career to end however they just don't have the firepower that Cy Falls has

 Goodwin led the Eagles with over 20 points and she probably had at least 10 rebounds however they are running into an Elsik team that is simply playing outside of the box and this should be an interesting match-up

Rams Double Doubles Give Chargers Double Trouble

This was not supposed to happen last season and it wasn't supposed to happen this season yet it did and Elsik is one game away from a return trip to Austin. Clear Springs forced close to double digit turnovers in the first quarter however Crystal Porter and Akunna Elonu kept them in the game as they trailed 21-13

Elsik lost to Clear Springs 66-63 in the the Peggy Whitley Classic however neither team had their point guards. Jasmine Ocanas opened the second quarter with a three while Brooke McCarty had numerous steals which led to buckets but again the duo of Elonu and Porter was simply too much to handle as the gap was closed 28-24 at the half, Springs being outscored 11-7 in the quarter which was sort of an omen

Courtney Latham and Jo Ann Lira  kept hitting big shots throughout the evening but one thing about this Elsik team is if you let them hang around, more than likely something bad is going to happen, well good if you're a Ram and the defensive pressure from those Rams held Clear Springs to only 4 points in the third quarter and 12 for the second half as the Rams face Cy Falls to see who goes to state. Porter 16 points,12 rebounds combined with Elonu's 14 and 15