The Class 5A semifinals will be played at the Erwin Center in Austin on Friday at 3:30 PM and 8:30 PM. Houston-area teams will be featured in both.
Because these are the big schools from the big cities with big-time media coverage, there's no point in trying to re-write things that have already been well written. So, here are some of the things being written and said about the 5A semifinalists...
HOUSTON CY-FAIR (34-1, Region II) vs CEDAR HILL (27-6, Region I)
Cy-Fair is in Cypress, a northwestern suburban Houston community; Cedar Hill is a southwestern suburban Dallas community.
Cy-Fair is returning to the tournament for the fourth consecutive year. Jenny Dial of the Houston Chronicle recapped their Region II championship game win over Bryan that sent them on the way.
She also previewed the weekend for both Cy-Fair and Hightower.
As reported here by the Cy-Fair Sun, the Lady Bobcats' performance has earned them national attention.
Mark Dent of the Dallas Morning News offers this preview of the match-up.
Cy-Fair's recent tournament experience, combined with the formidable presence of Chiney Ogwumike in the middle, should pay off in the semifinal.
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FORT BEND HIGHTOWER (34-2, Region III) vs NORTHSIDE JAY (35-4, Region IV)
Hightower, from the Fort Bend ISD, is in Sugar Land, a southwestern suburban Houston community; Jay, from the Northside ISD, is on the north side of metropolitan San Antonio.
Cory Roepken of the Fort Bend Sun recaps the Hightower win in the Region III championship.
Chad Peters of the San Antonio Express-News provides this story on Jay.
Hightower makes their second tournament appearance (the first since 2003) and Jay is making the school's first appearance. This game could come down to which team best controls the nerves that come with playing on a big stage.
Friday, March 5, 2010
UIL Girls' Basketball Tournament Preview: Class 2A
Editorial note: Class 2A semifinals are actually the morning session for Friday. All the 'clever' stuff from the beginning of my previous post? Pretend I said '2A'...
Here's a look at the 2A match-ups on Friday...
BROCK (35-2, Region II) vs JEWETT LEON (25-6, Region III)
Brock is approximately 15 miles southwest of Weatherford (and approximately 50 miles west-southwest of Fort Worth), off of I-20 on FM 1189; Jewett is roughly 15 miles northwest of Centerville (10 miles southwest of Buffalo) on US Hwy 79, just west of I-45.
Brock is making its sixteenth tournament appearance. The Lady Eagles are such a regular fixture in the tournament, it almost seems as if its Brock basketball's birthright to be there.
Brock, champions of District 9-2A, is a dominant program in its classification. This season, their only two losses came at the hands of 5A schools Weatherford and Georgetown. The Lady Eagles' average margin of victory was 26.4 points. They allow an average of just over 30 points per game.
In short, Brock will be stiff competition for any team they face.
Welcome to your first-ever state tournament, Leon.
The Cougars finished as the runner-up in District 20-2A behind Marlin. They knocked off a pair of district champs (Daingerfield and Trinity) in the regional playoffs before defeating another Cinderella, New Waverly, in the championship game.
Leon averages 55.4 points per game and allows 45.8.
If there is a way to beat Brock, Peaster may have given Leon a glimpse of it last weekend in the Region II championship game. Peaster let the air out of the ball and basically played a four-corner offense the entire game to keep Brock from running away with the game.
Peaster took the Lady Eagles to overtime before losing, 27-25. If Leon was paying attention, perhaps the second time is the charm.
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WALL (34-3, Region I) vs POTH (28-5, Region IV)
Wall is approximately 15 miles southeast of San Angelo; Poth is 8 miles south-southeast of Floresville (and roughly 40 miles southeast of San Antonio) on US Hwy 179.
This is a match up of two solid 2A programs. Wall makes its fifth tournament appearance and Poth makes its tenth. But both schools were absent last year and Wall is making its first return trip since the 2006 season. So the current squads may not be familiar with the tournament experience.
Like Brock, Wall's three losses this season have been to larger-classification schools (Lubbock Coronado, 3A semifinalist Abilene Wylie and Canyon). In the process, they picked up several wins over bigger schools too.
The Lady Hawks, District 7-2A winners, have sailed through the playoffs, with an average margin of victory of 24 points. Wall has good size on the front line, with four players 5'11" or taller.
But Poth can match Wall in size, with 6'2" junior Tara Dunn and 6'0" sophomore Jordan Kotara.
Poth survived a scare from District 28 runner-up Nixon-Smiley in the Region IV championship to win, 43-41, and advance.
Here's a look at the 2A match-ups on Friday...
BROCK (35-2, Region II) vs JEWETT LEON (25-6, Region III)
Brock is approximately 15 miles southwest of Weatherford (and approximately 50 miles west-southwest of Fort Worth), off of I-20 on FM 1189; Jewett is roughly 15 miles northwest of Centerville (10 miles southwest of Buffalo) on US Hwy 79, just west of I-45.
Brock is making its sixteenth tournament appearance. The Lady Eagles are such a regular fixture in the tournament, it almost seems as if its Brock basketball's birthright to be there.
Brock, champions of District 9-2A, is a dominant program in its classification. This season, their only two losses came at the hands of 5A schools Weatherford and Georgetown. The Lady Eagles' average margin of victory was 26.4 points. They allow an average of just over 30 points per game.
In short, Brock will be stiff competition for any team they face.
Welcome to your first-ever state tournament, Leon.
The Cougars finished as the runner-up in District 20-2A behind Marlin. They knocked off a pair of district champs (Daingerfield and Trinity) in the regional playoffs before defeating another Cinderella, New Waverly, in the championship game.
Leon averages 55.4 points per game and allows 45.8.
If there is a way to beat Brock, Peaster may have given Leon a glimpse of it last weekend in the Region II championship game. Peaster let the air out of the ball and basically played a four-corner offense the entire game to keep Brock from running away with the game.
Peaster took the Lady Eagles to overtime before losing, 27-25. If Leon was paying attention, perhaps the second time is the charm.
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WALL (34-3, Region I) vs POTH (28-5, Region IV)
Wall is approximately 15 miles southeast of San Angelo; Poth is 8 miles south-southeast of Floresville (and roughly 40 miles southeast of San Antonio) on US Hwy 179.
This is a match up of two solid 2A programs. Wall makes its fifth tournament appearance and Poth makes its tenth. But both schools were absent last year and Wall is making its first return trip since the 2006 season. So the current squads may not be familiar with the tournament experience.
Like Brock, Wall's three losses this season have been to larger-classification schools (Lubbock Coronado, 3A semifinalist Abilene Wylie and Canyon). In the process, they picked up several wins over bigger schools too.
The Lady Hawks, District 7-2A winners, have sailed through the playoffs, with an average margin of victory of 24 points. Wall has good size on the front line, with four players 5'11" or taller.
But Poth can match Wall in size, with 6'2" junior Tara Dunn and 6'0" sophomore Jordan Kotara.
Poth survived a scare from District 28 runner-up Nixon-Smiley in the Region IV championship to win, 43-41, and advance.
Girls UIL Basketball Tournament preview: Class 1A-Division II
As you sit in traffic on Friday morning, the Class 1A-Division II girls' semifinalists will be getting ready to play for a spot in the state championship game on Saturday. The 1A-II semifinals begin at 8:30 AM on Friday.
Here's a sneak peek...
NECHES (35-2, Region III) vs TURKEY VALLEY (26-5, Region II)
Neches is approximately 110 miles southeast of Dallas on US Hwy 175 in northeast Texas (roughly midway between Palestine and Jacksonville on US Hwy 79); Turkey Valley is in Turkey TX, which is in the Panhandle approximately 105 miles northeast of Lubbock, 45 miles west of Childress and 165 miles west of Lawton, OK.
Everything you need to know about Neches is found in a tune-up game they scheduled following the end of their undefeated District 24-1A-II championship season. With a 31-1 record, a 27-game winning streak on the line and the playoffs right around the corner, head coach Andy Snider scheduled a tune-up game against Class 3A Bullard. Not another 1A or even 2A school—a 3A school.
Neches wasn’t scared to lay all of that on the line.
It would make a nice story to say that the Lady Tigers beat Bullard and used that as motivation for their playoff run, but they lost, 60-44. But, if they weren’t equal to the task of defeating a 3A team, Neches has certainly proven to be capable of beating any other 1A school they play.
Their only other loss this season was during an opening-weekend tournament to an AAU travel squad disguised as a school called God’s Academy out of the Dallas area.
Maybe they’re too young to comprehend fear. The Neches roster is comprised of a freshman, five sophomores and two seniors. Led by sophomore spark plug point guard Roddrika Patton, the Lady Tigers return to the state tournament for the second consecutive year.
Last year, as a freshman, Patton put on a show in the state semifinal against Leggett that created a whole new crop of fans in the Erwin Center. She scored 17 points and had 11 steals in a 71-60 win.
Neches lost the championship game to Roby, 44-34, but left the impression they might be back—and soon.
Their return engagement begins Friday morning against surprise Region II winners, Turkey Valley. The Patriots, who were the third place finishers in District 11-1A-II, defeated defending champion Roby last weekend to advance. Neches is the lone district champion among the 1A-Division II semifinalists.
Turkey Valley enters the weekend on a 10-game winning streak. With four seniors and three juniors on the roster, they would appear, on paper, to have the experience edge over Neches. And, their roster is deeper (14 players) and Neches’ (eight players).
But Neches has last year’s tournament experience. Turkey Valley’s last tournament appearance was in 1974.
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MCLEAN (28-4, Region I) vs LEGGETT (26-9, Region IV)
McLean is 75 miles east of Amarillo on I-40 (approximately 185 miles west of Oklahoma City, OK); Leggett is approximately 10 miles north-northeast of Livingston on US Hwy 59 (approximately 85 miles north-northeast of Houston).
The McLean Lady Tigers played in the very first UIL girls’ state championship game in 1951. They haven’t been back to the tournament since, a total of 59 years. Suffice it to say that things are different.
If the 2010 squad is to return to the championship round, they will have to defeat a semifinal opponent that is just 364 days removed from its previous tournament experience.
The Leggett Pirates, like Neches, return for the second consecutive year to the tournament. This season, Leggett was the runner-up in District 25-1A-II behind Goodrich. But the Pirates (26-9) defeated Goodrich, 70-68, in the Region IV championship on Saturday to earn the return trip to Austin.
Four of the seven Leggett players who played in the semifinal loss against Neches returned to this year’s team, including leading scorer Brittney Jefferson, who scored 22 points in last year’s loss.
Leggett is the closest remaining school to the metropolitan Houston area. At 66.5 points per game, they are also the highest-scoring team in the bracket. However, they also allow the most points, 53.6 per game.
McLean (District 4-1A-II runner-up), averaging 56.5 per game and allowing 40.5, likes to play a step slower than Leggett. The lower the score at the end of one quarter, the more likely it is that McLean is controlling the tempo.
Here's a sneak peek...
NECHES (35-2, Region III) vs TURKEY VALLEY (26-5, Region II)
Neches is approximately 110 miles southeast of Dallas on US Hwy 175 in northeast Texas (roughly midway between Palestine and Jacksonville on US Hwy 79); Turkey Valley is in Turkey TX, which is in the Panhandle approximately 105 miles northeast of Lubbock, 45 miles west of Childress and 165 miles west of Lawton, OK.
Everything you need to know about Neches is found in a tune-up game they scheduled following the end of their undefeated District 24-1A-II championship season. With a 31-1 record, a 27-game winning streak on the line and the playoffs right around the corner, head coach Andy Snider scheduled a tune-up game against Class 3A Bullard. Not another 1A or even 2A school—a 3A school.
Neches wasn’t scared to lay all of that on the line.
It would make a nice story to say that the Lady Tigers beat Bullard and used that as motivation for their playoff run, but they lost, 60-44. But, if they weren’t equal to the task of defeating a 3A team, Neches has certainly proven to be capable of beating any other 1A school they play.
Their only other loss this season was during an opening-weekend tournament to an AAU travel squad disguised as a school called God’s Academy out of the Dallas area.
Maybe they’re too young to comprehend fear. The Neches roster is comprised of a freshman, five sophomores and two seniors. Led by sophomore spark plug point guard Roddrika Patton, the Lady Tigers return to the state tournament for the second consecutive year.
Last year, as a freshman, Patton put on a show in the state semifinal against Leggett that created a whole new crop of fans in the Erwin Center. She scored 17 points and had 11 steals in a 71-60 win.
Neches lost the championship game to Roby, 44-34, but left the impression they might be back—and soon.
Their return engagement begins Friday morning against surprise Region II winners, Turkey Valley. The Patriots, who were the third place finishers in District 11-1A-II, defeated defending champion Roby last weekend to advance. Neches is the lone district champion among the 1A-Division II semifinalists.
Turkey Valley enters the weekend on a 10-game winning streak. With four seniors and three juniors on the roster, they would appear, on paper, to have the experience edge over Neches. And, their roster is deeper (14 players) and Neches’ (eight players).
But Neches has last year’s tournament experience. Turkey Valley’s last tournament appearance was in 1974.
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MCLEAN (28-4, Region I) vs LEGGETT (26-9, Region IV)
McLean is 75 miles east of Amarillo on I-40 (approximately 185 miles west of Oklahoma City, OK); Leggett is approximately 10 miles north-northeast of Livingston on US Hwy 59 (approximately 85 miles north-northeast of Houston).
The McLean Lady Tigers played in the very first UIL girls’ state championship game in 1951. They haven’t been back to the tournament since, a total of 59 years. Suffice it to say that things are different.
If the 2010 squad is to return to the championship round, they will have to defeat a semifinal opponent that is just 364 days removed from its previous tournament experience.
The Leggett Pirates, like Neches, return for the second consecutive year to the tournament. This season, Leggett was the runner-up in District 25-1A-II behind Goodrich. But the Pirates (26-9) defeated Goodrich, 70-68, in the Region IV championship on Saturday to earn the return trip to Austin.
Four of the seven Leggett players who played in the semifinal loss against Neches returned to this year’s team, including leading scorer Brittney Jefferson, who scored 22 points in last year’s loss.
Leggett is the closest remaining school to the metropolitan Houston area. At 66.5 points per game, they are also the highest-scoring team in the bracket. However, they also allow the most points, 53.6 per game.
McLean (District 4-1A-II runner-up), averaging 56.5 per game and allowing 40.5, likes to play a step slower than Leggett. The lower the score at the end of one quarter, the more likely it is that McLean is controlling the tempo.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Girls UIL Basketball Tournament preview: Class 4A
Here’s a quick look at Thursday night’s Class 4A semifinal matchups…
Mansfield Timberview (35-2, Region I) vs. Cibolo Steele (34-4, Region IV)
Mansfield is a suburban community south of Fort Worth; Cibolo is a suburban community on the east side of San Antonio.
Timberview (TABC No. 1) and Steele (TABC No. 6) face off in a clash of 4A titans that is also a rematch of last year’s state semifinal. Timberview defeated Steele, 67-46, before losing in the state championship game to Waco Midway, 50-27. Thirteen players from that game (six from Steele, seven from Timberview) returned to their teams’ rosters in 2009-2010.
In that game, poor field goal shooting plagued Steele. They shot just 14-of-67 (20.9%) from the field, including 0-of-11 from the three-point line.
The Knights (34-4) return three starters from the 2009 team. Guards Meighan Simmons and Olivia Patterson and forward Taylor Calvert scored 30 of Steele’s 46 points in last years meeting and return for 2010.
Steele, winners of District 27-4A, are the highest scoring team among the semifinalists, averaging over 69 points per game. Timberview, District 8-4A champions, have allowed opponents an average of 38.1 points per game.
Timberview (35-2) has two returning starters from last year. Seniors Keena Mays and Maegan Conwright will be counted on again to send the Wolves back to the state championship game.
Steele, making their third consecutive tournament appearance, will be looking to win their first tournament game. In 2008, they entered the tournament as the top-ranked 4A team with a record of 37-1 but lost to Dallas Lincoln in the semifinal.
Timberview is currently on a 22-game winning streak; Steele has won 12 in a row.
As last year’s game showed, the two teams are very similar and the game could easily again come down to which team shoots best on Thursday evening.
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Del Valle (36-2, Region III) vs. Frisco Wakeland (29-6, Region II)
Del Valle is approximately 10 miles east of downtown Austin near Bergstrom Airport; Frisco is a northern suburban community in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.
Del Valle should bring a bit of a ‘home court advantage’ into the Erwin Center on Thursday, thanks to their close proximity to Austin. The Lady Cardinals (36-2) also will bring the best record of the remaining 4A teams. This will be their first tournament appearance in 29 years.
Wakeland (29-6) could be considered the Cinderella story of the tournament. The Wolverines were the runner-up in District 9-4A behind district sister school Frisco. Interestingly, Wakeland defeated District 9-4A third-place finisher McKinney North in the Region II championship to earn a spot in the state tournament.
After a 21-point bidistrict win over Dallas Highland Park, Wakeland has been challenged in every playoff game, winning by margins of one, four, two and six. Del Valle’s lone scare in the Region III playoffs was a 47-45 win in the quarterfinal round over Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill.
Del Valle has averaged 50 points per game and Wakeland has averaged 55.5. Defensively, the Lady Cardinals allow 31.8 points while the Wolverines give up 41.4 per game.
Wakeland is making their first-ever tournament appearance. Because of Del Valle’s long absence from the big stage too, the game may come down to which team better handles the bright lights of the Erwin Center and the nerves that go along with it.
Mansfield Timberview (35-2, Region I) vs. Cibolo Steele (34-4, Region IV)
Mansfield is a suburban community south of Fort Worth; Cibolo is a suburban community on the east side of San Antonio.
Timberview (TABC No. 1) and Steele (TABC No. 6) face off in a clash of 4A titans that is also a rematch of last year’s state semifinal. Timberview defeated Steele, 67-46, before losing in the state championship game to Waco Midway, 50-27. Thirteen players from that game (six from Steele, seven from Timberview) returned to their teams’ rosters in 2009-2010.
In that game, poor field goal shooting plagued Steele. They shot just 14-of-67 (20.9%) from the field, including 0-of-11 from the three-point line.
The Knights (34-4) return three starters from the 2009 team. Guards Meighan Simmons and Olivia Patterson and forward Taylor Calvert scored 30 of Steele’s 46 points in last years meeting and return for 2010.
Steele, winners of District 27-4A, are the highest scoring team among the semifinalists, averaging over 69 points per game. Timberview, District 8-4A champions, have allowed opponents an average of 38.1 points per game.
Timberview (35-2) has two returning starters from last year. Seniors Keena Mays and Maegan Conwright will be counted on again to send the Wolves back to the state championship game.
Steele, making their third consecutive tournament appearance, will be looking to win their first tournament game. In 2008, they entered the tournament as the top-ranked 4A team with a record of 37-1 but lost to Dallas Lincoln in the semifinal.
Timberview is currently on a 22-game winning streak; Steele has won 12 in a row.
As last year’s game showed, the two teams are very similar and the game could easily again come down to which team shoots best on Thursday evening.
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Del Valle (36-2, Region III) vs. Frisco Wakeland (29-6, Region II)
Del Valle is approximately 10 miles east of downtown Austin near Bergstrom Airport; Frisco is a northern suburban community in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.
Del Valle should bring a bit of a ‘home court advantage’ into the Erwin Center on Thursday, thanks to their close proximity to Austin. The Lady Cardinals (36-2) also will bring the best record of the remaining 4A teams. This will be their first tournament appearance in 29 years.
Wakeland (29-6) could be considered the Cinderella story of the tournament. The Wolverines were the runner-up in District 9-4A behind district sister school Frisco. Interestingly, Wakeland defeated District 9-4A third-place finisher McKinney North in the Region II championship to earn a spot in the state tournament.
After a 21-point bidistrict win over Dallas Highland Park, Wakeland has been challenged in every playoff game, winning by margins of one, four, two and six. Del Valle’s lone scare in the Region III playoffs was a 47-45 win in the quarterfinal round over Mont Belvieu Barbers Hill.
Del Valle has averaged 50 points per game and Wakeland has averaged 55.5. Defensively, the Lady Cardinals allow 31.8 points while the Wolverines give up 41.4 per game.
Wakeland is making their first-ever tournament appearance. Because of Del Valle’s long absence from the big stage too, the game may come down to which team better handles the bright lights of the Erwin Center and the nerves that go along with it.
Girls UIL Basketball Tournament preview: Class 3A
On Thursday, the Class 3A semifinals will provide the afternoon session’s competition. A pair of teams within a couple of hours’ drive from Houston will compete for the right to play in the 3A championship game on Saturday morning.
Madisonville (31-5, Region III) vs. Texarkana Liberty-Eylau (29-8, Region II)
Madisonville is approximately 29 miles north-northwest of Huntsville on I-45 (98 miles from Houston); as the name suggests, Liberty-Eylau is a community just south of Texarkana.
Madisonville, highest-ranked remaining team (No. 3 in the state) in the TABC 3A rankings, will bring the best overall record into the tournament among the 3A semifinalists. And, thanks to their relative proximity to Houston, the Mustangs have had several opportunities to play against—and defeat—some 4A and 5A schools.
Perhaps most impressive was a holiday tournament showing where the Mustangs defeated, consecutively, Houston MacArthur, Dayton, Houston Eisenhower and Conroe Oak Ridge.
Though not a physically big team (no player is taller than 5’9”), Madisonville plays stifling defense, allowing an average of only 37.3 points per game. They have held their opponents to under 40 points in exactly half of their 36 games, including four games in which they held the opponent to totals in the twenties and five more in which they held the opponent to totals in the teens.
Their opponent, Liberty-Eylau’s Lady Leopards, brings the highest scoring team to the field. L-E averages 66.3 points per game.
And Liberty-Eylau may be riding a wave of momentum from their Region II championship game against Kennedale last Saturday. Kennedale led 59-52 with 57 seconds left to play, but the Lady Leopards finished on a 9-1 run for a 61-60 victory. Freshman Alize Pegue made her only basket of the game with 8 seconds left to send L-E to their first state tournament since 2007 and third overall.
Madisonville is playing in their first state tournament.
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Giddings (30-7, Region IV) vs. Abilene Wylie (30-9, Region II)
Giddings is on US-290, approximately 55 miles east of Austin (107 miles west of Houston); Abilene is 156 miles west of Fort Worth on I-20 and Wylie High School is in the southernmost part of the city.
Giddings and Abilene Wylie each bring long winning streaks into their semifinal matchup. Wylie has won 17 in a row and Giddings has won 18 consecutive games.
Wylie, from District 2-3A, lost its first four games of the season in a tough pre-district schedule. The Lady Bulldogs played eight teams that would go on to reach the regional tournament in their respective classifications.
The team has relied on senior leadership. Although sophomore Peyton Little leads the team in scoring, three seniors—Mackenzie Clay, Megan Rausch and Chastity Williams —are starters and are major contributors, averaging a combined 23 points per game. As a team, Wylie averages 54.6 points per game.
Out of District 26-3A, Giddings went to triple overtime in the Region IV championship game against Wimberley to earn their tournament berth.
The Lady Buffs have been led in scoring by the duo of Kayla Winkfield (sophomore, 16.1 points per game) and Jena Meuth (senior, 14.5 ppg). Senior point guard Jordan Masek (6.4 assists per game and 3.9 steals per game) has been a solid floor leader.
This is Giddings’ first tournament appearance. Abilene Wylie makes their sixth overall appearance, the first since the 2006 tournament.
Madisonville (31-5, Region III) vs. Texarkana Liberty-Eylau (29-8, Region II)
Madisonville is approximately 29 miles north-northwest of Huntsville on I-45 (98 miles from Houston); as the name suggests, Liberty-Eylau is a community just south of Texarkana.
Madisonville, highest-ranked remaining team (No. 3 in the state) in the TABC 3A rankings, will bring the best overall record into the tournament among the 3A semifinalists. And, thanks to their relative proximity to Houston, the Mustangs have had several opportunities to play against—and defeat—some 4A and 5A schools.
Perhaps most impressive was a holiday tournament showing where the Mustangs defeated, consecutively, Houston MacArthur, Dayton, Houston Eisenhower and Conroe Oak Ridge.
Though not a physically big team (no player is taller than 5’9”), Madisonville plays stifling defense, allowing an average of only 37.3 points per game. They have held their opponents to under 40 points in exactly half of their 36 games, including four games in which they held the opponent to totals in the twenties and five more in which they held the opponent to totals in the teens.
Their opponent, Liberty-Eylau’s Lady Leopards, brings the highest scoring team to the field. L-E averages 66.3 points per game.
And Liberty-Eylau may be riding a wave of momentum from their Region II championship game against Kennedale last Saturday. Kennedale led 59-52 with 57 seconds left to play, but the Lady Leopards finished on a 9-1 run for a 61-60 victory. Freshman Alize Pegue made her only basket of the game with 8 seconds left to send L-E to their first state tournament since 2007 and third overall.
Madisonville is playing in their first state tournament.
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Giddings (30-7, Region IV) vs. Abilene Wylie (30-9, Region II)
Giddings is on US-290, approximately 55 miles east of Austin (107 miles west of Houston); Abilene is 156 miles west of Fort Worth on I-20 and Wylie High School is in the southernmost part of the city.
Giddings and Abilene Wylie each bring long winning streaks into their semifinal matchup. Wylie has won 17 in a row and Giddings has won 18 consecutive games.
Wylie, from District 2-3A, lost its first four games of the season in a tough pre-district schedule. The Lady Bulldogs played eight teams that would go on to reach the regional tournament in their respective classifications.
The team has relied on senior leadership. Although sophomore Peyton Little leads the team in scoring, three seniors—Mackenzie Clay, Megan Rausch and Chastity Williams —are starters and are major contributors, averaging a combined 23 points per game. As a team, Wylie averages 54.6 points per game.
Out of District 26-3A, Giddings went to triple overtime in the Region IV championship game against Wimberley to earn their tournament berth.
The Lady Buffs have been led in scoring by the duo of Kayla Winkfield (sophomore, 16.1 points per game) and Jena Meuth (senior, 14.5 ppg). Senior point guard Jordan Masek (6.4 assists per game and 3.9 steals per game) has been a solid floor leader.
This is Giddings’ first tournament appearance. Abilene Wylie makes their sixth overall appearance, the first since the 2006 tournament.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Girls UIL Basketball Tournament preview: Class 1A-Division I
Over the next few posts, we’ll try to give you a quick preview of the schools that have advanced to the 2010 UIL Girls Basketball State Championships coming up Thursday, March 4 through Saturday, March 6.
Our first look is at Class 1A Division I.
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REGION I: Smyer
(Panhandle, approximately 18 miles west of Lubbock on Hwy 114)
The Smyer Lady Cats (34-3) make their first appearance in the state tournament after winning District 6-1A this season. Smyer defeated defending state champs Sudan last Saturday in the Region I championship, 45-43, to earn the berth.
Led by 6’0” sophomore Haley Fowler, the Lady Cats have averaged 62.6 points per game this season and posted scores of at least 80 points in four different games.
REGION II: Muenster
(North Texas, approximately 16 miles west of Gainesville on US Hwy 82; approximately 49 miles northwest of Denton)
The Muenster Lady Hornets, winners of District 10-1A, bring a 29-6 record to the tournament and are riding a 21-game winning streak. With six seniors, they also can claim the title of most-experienced team in the 1A-I field. They make their fourth tournament appearance in school history, and first since the 2004-05 season.
Led by seniors Lia Heers and Shaina Felderhoff and junior post player Taylor Klement, Muenster won their four regional playoff games by an average margin of 11.3 points per game.
REGION III: Martin’s Mill
(Northeast Texas, approximately 31 miles west of Tyler and 12 miles south-southeast of Canton)
Winners of District 18-1A, the Lady Mustangs (32-4) are making their sixth tournament appearance and their fifth consecutive appearance. They will be looking for their third Class 1A Division I state championship in five years.
Martin’s Mill won state championships in 2006 and 2008. With that recent history, some observers have the Lady Mustangs as the team to beat in Austin this weekend.
However, this is a young team, with four freshmen, two sophomores, three juniors and one senior. Juniors Emily Williams (17 points per game) and Joanna Daniel (16 ppg) lead the way on the floor, but two freshmen—Taylor Munns (G, 5’7”) and Meagan Weatherford (C, 5’11”)—have also made big contributions.
REGION IV: Louise
(Southeast Texas, approximately 85 miles southwest of Houston and 12 miles southwest of El Campo on US Hwy 59)
The remaining 1A-I school with closest proximity to Houston and the only remaining school from south of Waco, the Louise Lady Hornets bring the lowest win percentage to the tournament, but their 26-6 record may be deceptive. All six losses were to larger schools in higher classifications (Orange Grove, 3A; West Columbia, 3A; Goliad, 3A; Hempstead, 2A; Hitchcock, 2A; Shiner St. Paul, TAPPS-2A).
In those losses, the average margin of defeat was only 7.7 points. Because of that, head coach Bryan Branch may have the sleeper of the tournament.
Louise, champion of District 28-1A, is making its first appearance in the state tournament in school history.
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The state semifinal games get underway on Thursday morning. Smyer, the top seed, takes on Louise in the first semifinal at 8:30 AM and Martin’s Mill faces off against Muenster at 10:00 AM.
All games take place at the Frank Erwin Special Events Center on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin.
Our first look is at Class 1A Division I.
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REGION I: Smyer
(Panhandle, approximately 18 miles west of Lubbock on Hwy 114)
The Smyer Lady Cats (34-3) make their first appearance in the state tournament after winning District 6-1A this season. Smyer defeated defending state champs Sudan last Saturday in the Region I championship, 45-43, to earn the berth.
Led by 6’0” sophomore Haley Fowler, the Lady Cats have averaged 62.6 points per game this season and posted scores of at least 80 points in four different games.
REGION II: Muenster
(North Texas, approximately 16 miles west of Gainesville on US Hwy 82; approximately 49 miles northwest of Denton)
The Muenster Lady Hornets, winners of District 10-1A, bring a 29-6 record to the tournament and are riding a 21-game winning streak. With six seniors, they also can claim the title of most-experienced team in the 1A-I field. They make their fourth tournament appearance in school history, and first since the 2004-05 season.
Led by seniors Lia Heers and Shaina Felderhoff and junior post player Taylor Klement, Muenster won their four regional playoff games by an average margin of 11.3 points per game.
REGION III: Martin’s Mill
(Northeast Texas, approximately 31 miles west of Tyler and 12 miles south-southeast of Canton)
Winners of District 18-1A, the Lady Mustangs (32-4) are making their sixth tournament appearance and their fifth consecutive appearance. They will be looking for their third Class 1A Division I state championship in five years.
Martin’s Mill won state championships in 2006 and 2008. With that recent history, some observers have the Lady Mustangs as the team to beat in Austin this weekend.
However, this is a young team, with four freshmen, two sophomores, three juniors and one senior. Juniors Emily Williams (17 points per game) and Joanna Daniel (16 ppg) lead the way on the floor, but two freshmen—Taylor Munns (G, 5’7”) and Meagan Weatherford (C, 5’11”)—have also made big contributions.
REGION IV: Louise
(Southeast Texas, approximately 85 miles southwest of Houston and 12 miles southwest of El Campo on US Hwy 59)
The remaining 1A-I school with closest proximity to Houston and the only remaining school from south of Waco, the Louise Lady Hornets bring the lowest win percentage to the tournament, but their 26-6 record may be deceptive. All six losses were to larger schools in higher classifications (Orange Grove, 3A; West Columbia, 3A; Goliad, 3A; Hempstead, 2A; Hitchcock, 2A; Shiner St. Paul, TAPPS-2A).
In those losses, the average margin of defeat was only 7.7 points. Because of that, head coach Bryan Branch may have the sleeper of the tournament.
Louise, champion of District 28-1A, is making its first appearance in the state tournament in school history.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The state semifinal games get underway on Thursday morning. Smyer, the top seed, takes on Louise in the first semifinal at 8:30 AM and Martin’s Mill faces off against Muenster at 10:00 AM.
All games take place at the Frank Erwin Special Events Center on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin.
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