Boys State Tournament -- Day 1

AUSTIN -- The first day of the boys state tournament is underway at the Frank Erwin Center and Prep Ticket has the information on how your favorite team is doing.

Class 4A Semifinal: Southwest 95,Wheatley 89

People expected a track meet, and they got one in near record-setting fashion. Fort Worth Southwest won a fast-paced, high-energy shootout with Houston Wheatley 95-89 to advance to the 4A state championship game.

The 95 points by Southwest tied a 4A state tournament record (also accomplished by both South Oak Cliff and Fort Worth Dunbar in 2006), and the 184 total points were just one point shy of the record for total combined score in a 4A state tournament game (South Oak Cliff defeated Angleton 95-90 in 2006 to set that mark).

"It was fast. Did anybody even run a set play all night?" Southwest head coach Scott Gray said jokingly. "We like to score, and we feel like we have the stamina and conditioning that we can outrun most people."

That's exactly what the Raiders did. Even against a team as quick and athletic as Wheatley, Southwest was just a step better all night. The big difference in the game, however, was how much better Southwest shot. The Raiders shot 41.9% from the field compared to 39.1% for the Wildcats. Southwest hit 8 of 24 three-point shots while Wheatley struggled from downtown, going just 4 of 28.

Kendall Timmons led the way for Southwest, scoring a game-high 34 points, including making 14 of 18 free throws. He also grabbed 11 rebounds.

"I'm just happy for the community and for the kids that they have the opportunity to win a state championship," Coach Gray said.

Southwest now advances to the 4A state championship game where they will try to dethrone three-time defending state champion South Oak Cliff. The title contest tips off Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the Erwin Center.

For a full photo gallery of this game, click here.

Class 4A Semifinal South Oak Cliff 53, Boerne 46:
It was David against Goliath. Upstart Boerne stepped up to take on three-time defending state champion South Oak Cliff, and they almost pulled off the unthinkable. Boerne led for most of the game, but when the clock read 0:00, the Golden Bears were back in the state championship game with a 53-46 win.

Boerne, however, did everything they could to make the game interesting. Senior Robert Moore led the way by hitting shot after shot, each one firing up the loud Boerne student section a little bit more. Moore had 18 of his game-high 26 points in the first half, and the Greyhounds took a surprising 24-19 lead into the locker room at halftime.

"Boerne is a really good team. They're good with ball control, that motion offense. We had to try to control the tempo and force some turnovers," South Oak Cliff head coach James Mays II said.

In the third quarter, Boerne continued to put the pressure on the defending champions as the Greyhound lead grew to as big as 34-25 with 2:37 to play in the third quarter. That's when the Golden Bears started to show their championship form. Seniors Ty Shaw and J'Mison Morgan combined to score six consecutive points to cut the lead to three, and Shaw beat the third quarter buzzer with another trey to cut the lead to 37-36 heading into the final period. Morgan was a force in the paint with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 blocks.

"Going into the half, I thought we had the momentum," Moore said of the Greyhound lead. "We came out in the second half with the same intensity, and it was a fight. They just came out on top."

In the fourth quarter, South Oak Cliff finally started getting to the free throw line. They attempted 15 free throws the entire game, and 14 of them were in the fourth quarter. The Golden Bears converted 11 of those final 14 to grab the lead and hold it until the final buzzer. Meanwhile, the hot shooting that Boerne enjoyed in the first half just wasn't there, and the Golden Bear pressure was just too much.

"We had two bad possessions (in the fourth quarter), plus they made their free throws. That was a big difference," Boerne head coach Stan Leech said. "We came out the way you needed to against them. We had good energy in the second half, but we all knew there was only one way this would be a good moment, and that's if we won."

In the end, you can't underestimate the value of experience. The Golden Bear seniors will be playing in their fourth and final state championship game on Saturday, and that mental toughness showed in the second half.

"They have been here so many times, they know how to close out these games," Coach Mays said.

"The experience helps a lot. We've been here so much, it's like we're at home. I told my teammates to just play with a chip on their shoulder, and just go out there and ball and take care of business," the senior point guard Shaw said.

South Oak Cliff will now go for their fourth consecutive state championship on Saturday against Ft. Worth Southwest who defeated Wheatley 95-89.

For a full photo gallery from this game, click here.

Class 3A Semifinal Burkburnett 82, West Campus (San Antonio) 55:

"You guys didn't think we'd be here, so we accomplished something," senior forward Anthony McMorris told a group of reporters afterwards.

The Cougars (28-10) accomplished more than enough, clinching the school's first state tournament appearance in 27 years with an improbable 17-game winning streak. And considering school district officials have voted to close West Campus at the end of the school year, the basketball team will always leave a lasting impression.

The chance for a state title, however, goes to the Bulldogs (31-7), who will face Kennedale, a 81-68 winner over Silsbee, in the 3A state championship Saturday at 10 a.m.

Burkburnett claimed that spot with a relentless press that forced the Cougars into as many turnovers (10) as points in the second half. After starting the game tied at 4-4, the Bulldogs opened up a 10-0 run that West Campus was never able to close.

McMorris ended that run with a lay-up, but Burkburnett rattled off a 15-4 run to end the first quarter with a massive 29-10 lead.

"We knew what they were going to do, it's just in those first three minutes we ran into a lot of problems," West Campus coach Richard Cardenas said. "I don't care what sport you're playing, those first few minutes are crucial."

With Desmond Strickland (17 points) leading a quarter of players scoring at least 13 points, Burkburnett built a 46-25 lead at the half and never led by less than a dozen the rest of the way. The Bulldogs helped their cause by shooting 49 percent from the field and scoring 31 points off 29 West Campus turnovers.

Senior Efren Mojarro paced the Cougars with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while McMorris added 13 points and three assists.

"We did want to go out on top, but unfortunately it didn't work out that way," said senior point guard George Villareal.

For a full photo gallery of this game, click here.

Class 3A Semifinal Kennedale 81, Silsbee 68: Kennedale surprised many by just qualifying for the state tournament. Now the Wildcats figure they might as well win it. Kennedale looked up to the task Thursday afternoon, dispatching Silsbee 81-68 in a Class 3A state semifinal game at the Frank Erwin Center.

Kennedale will face Burkburnett, a 82-55 winner over San Antonio West Campus, in the 3A state championship on Saturday at 10 a.m. Seniors Kiefer Hohenberger and Brad Kubenak paved the way for the Wildcats (32-5), scoring more than a third of Kennedale's points and almost half of their rebounds.

Hohenberger led all scorers with 20 points and added eight rebounds, while Kubenak notched a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

"That's senior leadership for you," Kennedale coach Doug Groff said. "There hasn't been much that's gone on that they haven't seen. They understand what's going on and they can handle it."

For a full photo gallery of this game, click here.

Date of Article: Thu Mar 06, 2008 7:28 pm