Rank-Team-Last Week
1. East Central – 1
2. South San – 2
3. Burbank – 3
4. Lanier – 4
5. Central Catholic – 5
6. McCollum – 6
7. Highlands – 9
8. Brackenridge – 11
9. Harlandale – 8
10. Sam Houston – 7
11. Southwest – 10
12. Jefferson – 13
13. Edison – 14
14. Kennedy – 12
15. Memorial – 15
Rank-Team-Last Week
1. Southwest – 1
2. Highlands – 2
3. South San – 3
4. Southside – 4
5. East Central – 5
6. Sam Houston – 7
7. Lanier – 8
8. Brackenridge – 6
9. Holy Cross – 9
10. Harlandale – 10
11. Kennedy – 11
12. Burbank – 12
13. Edison – 13
14. Young Women’s Leadership Academy – 14
15. Jefferson – 15
AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Southside.
PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:
Southside’s first District 29-5A game brought the desired result and, in retrospect, maybe by the best-possible route.
As with any trip to Laredo, though, getting there was the hardest part. The Cardinals (9-6, 1-0) had to overcome a deficit in the final two minutes to secure a 68-61 win at Laredo Martn Dec. 19 in the district opener for both teams.
“That’s actually the first time they’ve fought adversity like that,” Southside coach Jessica Macias-Cardenas said. “It surprised me. It was a really good win for our team.”
Southside led throughout most of the game, building a 35-24 halftime. Martin rallied behind Anissa Lazcano, who scored 18 points in the third quarter alone. Lazcano finished with 36.
“(Nixon) just kept fighting,” Macias-Cardenas said, “even when they were down by 18. They didn’t care. They took it to us.”
When the Tigers finally wiped out the halftime deficit and took the lead, a pair of free throws from freshman
Klarissa Quintana (9 points) regained it for the Cardinals. Southside’s leading scorer, Desirae Arocha (21 points), clinched the win with a driving layup. Arocha was fouled on the play and converted the resulting free throw.
Arocha, Quintana and Amalia Alexander all start for the Cardinals as freshmen.
“They bring a lot to the team,” Macias-Cardenas said. “Amalia is not very big, but she’s our leading rebounder. Desirae and Klarissa are very good, solid guards. That’s kind of scary, because they’re still freshmen.”
Junior Mayra Sendejo contributed 16 points and Cassandra Aguilar added eight.
“I think, by now, the girls really know their roles and rotations,” the first-year coach said. “We’re actually changing it up. (Senior Kat Mancha) and Aguilar will start against teams where we need a big lineup. If we need a shorter lineup, we’ll change up the line up as well. We’re very fortunate to be able to do that.”
AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Highlands, Lanier, Sam Houston, South San.
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Highlands and Sam Houston rose to the top of District with a pair of wins each in games played Dec. 16 and Dec. 19.
Highlands (14-9, 4-0) knocked off Edison (6-14, 1-3) 68-29 Dec. 16 and Harlandale (9-12, 3-2) 73-47 Dec. 19. Sam Houston recorded its district wins against McCollum (1-13, 0-4) and Jefferson (4-14, 1-4).
The Hurricanes downed McCollum 52-35 Dec. 16 at Sam Houston. Jordyn Stewart led Sam Houston with 16 points. Ashawntae Brown added 10 points and Tia Logan scored eight.
Celeste Ramirez was McCollum’s top scorer with eight points.
Sam Houston defeated Jefferson 47-35 Dec. 19 at Lanier. Senior Dajah Thomas led the Hurricanes with 13 points. Cecilia Campos topped Jefferson with 14 points.
At Lanier, Highlands romped to a 43-12 halftime lead against Edison.
Sophomore guard Kiara Pesina led 10 Highlands scorers with 21 points. Pesina also had six steals. Jazmine Jackson produced 12 points and five rebounds. Aaliyah Prince finished with eight points and three steals. Senior Jina Lackey added four steals. Alexis Darden claimed a team-best six rebounds.
Amy Marcos was the leading scorer for Edison with seven points.
Highlands returned home to smash Harlandale behind a career-high 22 points from Lackey.
Pesina scored 14 points, Prince had 11 and Jackson 10. Harlandale received nine points from Teresa Navarro and eight from Justyne Perez, who sustained an apparent ankle injury in the Indians’ previous game.
South San
The Bobcats (10-10) crushed Eagle Pass 63-33 Dec. 16 in the final game of the 2014 portion of its schedule.
Bobcats senior Kassandra Valadez led four double-figure scorers with 14 points at Eagle Pass. Yasmine Andrade (12 points), Ariel Sosa (11 points) and Ilana Sanford (10 points) were the other top scorers for South San.
Lanier
The Voks (11-9, 3-1) held a pair of District 28-5A opponents under 45 points Dec. 16 and Dec. 19 while moving into third place in the district.
Lanier blasted Jefferson 74-44 in its first game of the week. Sabrina Cortinas led the Voks with 25 points. Ruby Garza chipped in 17 and Ashley Lopez scored 10. Esmi Garza contributed nine points.
J. Avila led Jefferson with 13 points. Ana Elizondo (11) and Angela Hardcastle (10) also scored in double figures.
NOTE: teams we cover are in boldface
Non-district
Navarro (8-7) 73, Fox Tech (7-11 ???) 47
Non-district
Calallen Christmas Classic
At Corpus Christi Calallen
South San (13-3) 83, Corpus Christi Incarnate Word 39
South San (13-3) 60, Corpus Christi Flour Bluff 56
Boerne ISD Tournament
OTHER AREA TEAM – Central Catholic (8-10 ???). Finals – Wednesday.
Boerne 47, Holy Cross (6-14) 41
Wimberley 73, Holy Cross (6-14) 54
East Central (11-6) 87, Round Rock McNeil 61
East Central (11-6) 91, Kyle Lehman 51
Southwest Tournament
Southwest (7-7 ???) 79, Eagle Pass 71
Southwest (7-7 ???) 71, Southside (5-8 ???) 58
Carrizo Springs 93, Southside (5-8 ???) 92 (OT)
District 27-5A
Lockhart (10-8 ???, 2-1) at Kennedy (6-11, 0-2) (score unavailable)
Kerrville Tivy (16-5, 3-0) 55, San Marcos (7-12, 2-2) 52
Alamo Heights (10-6, 2-2) 55, Memorial (7-13, 0-3) 40
Floresville (13-8, 3-1) 66, Seguin (7-12 ???, 3-1) 56
District 28-5A
Burbank (16-4, 3-0) 47, Jefferson (8-9, 1-3) 37
Edison (7-10, 2-1) 59, Harlandale (12-9, 1-3) 44
Lanier (11-11, 4-0) 78, Highlands (7-11, 2-1) 61
Sam Houston (3-10, 1-3) 56, Brackenridge (7-9, 1-3) 47
Non-district
Somerset (10-6) 62, Fox Tech (7-12 ???) 37
Calallen Christmas Classic
At Corpus Christi Calallen
Semifinals
Coppell 62, South San (14-4) 31
Third place
South San (14-4) 68, Corpus Christi King 38
Boerne ISD Tournament
La Vernia 57, Holy Cross (6-16) 34
Boerne Champion 63, Holy Cross (6-16) 33
San Antonio Christian 59, East Central (11-8) 57
Stevens 89, East Central (11-8) 88
Central Catholic (10-11 ???) 73, Kyle Lehman 35
Central Catholic (10-11 ???) 76, Madison 70
Southwest Tournament
Southwest (8-8 ???) 52, Carrizo Springs 37
Del Rio 86, Southside (5-10 ???) 61
Eagle Pass 82, Southside (5-10 ???) 78
New Braunfels Canyon 47, Southwest (8-8 ???) 46
District 27-5A
Floresville (14-8, 4-1) 61, Memorial (7-14, 0-4) 39
Seguin (8-12 ???, 4-1) 52, Kerrville Tivy (16-6, 3-1) 49
San Marcos (8-12, 3-2) 76, Kennedy (6-12 ???, 0-3 ???) 46
Boerne Champion (8-8 ???, 2-2) 45, Lockhart (10-9 ???, 2-2 ???) 41
District 29-5A
Medina Valley (8-8 ???, 1-0) 31, Eagle Pass Winn (3-11 ???, 0-1) 26
Laredo Nixon (11-8 ???, 1-0) 92, Somerset (10-7, 0-1) 67
Laredo Cigarroa (8-4 ???, 1-0) 75, Uvalde (7-10 ???, 0-1) 73
Laredo Martin (5-7 ???, 1-0) 63, Southside (5-11 ???, 0-1) 57
TAPPS 4-4A
San Antonio Christian (23-4, 4-0) 50, Cornerstone Christian (10-4 ???, 1-2) 30
Non-district
Churchill (15-5) 89, Central Catholic (10-12 ???) 60
Southwest (9-9) 72, New Braunfels Canyon (8-10 ???) 63
Saturday, Jan. 3 games
District 28-5A
Sam Houston (4-10, 2-3) 87, Highlands (7-12, 2-2) 67
McCollum (10-9, 2-2) 58, Jefferson (8-10, 1-4) 55
Burbank (17-4, 4-0) 58, Brackenridge (7-10, 1-4) 41
Lanier (12-11, 5-0) 57, Edison (7-11, 2-2) 51
TAPPS 4-4A
TMI (14-11, 4-0) 58, Holy Cross (6-17, 1-3) 21
Corpus Christi Incarnate Word (8-7, 2-2) 55, Victoria St. Joseph (6-10, 0-4) 45
Non-district
South San (15-4) 67, Laredo Johnson (5-13 ???) 30
NOTE: teams we cover are in boldface
Non-district
Comfort (4-9 ???) 48, Young Women’s Leadership Academy (14-10) 41
Non-district
Antonian (13-5) 54, East Central (8-9) 39
Non-district
Boerne ISD Tournament
Antonian 60, Southwest (12-7) 37
La Vernia 58, Southwest (12-7) 48
East Central (9-9) 71, Hondo 50
District 27-5A
Alamo Heights (10-4 ???, 4-2) 65, Memorial (1-17 ???, 0-4 ???) 22
Floresville (9-11, 4-2) 42, Seguin (9-12, 2-3) 19
Kennedy (5-12 ???, 0-3 ???) at Lockhart (3-10 ???, 0-3) (score unavailable)
Kerrville Tivy (14-4 ???, 3-0 ???) 53, San Marcos (18-6, 4-1) 42
District 28-5A
Burbank (9-11 ???, 2-2 ???) 57, Jefferson (4-15, 1-5) 27
Harlandale (10-12, 4-2) 50, Edison (6-15, 1-4) 41
Highlands (15-9, 5-0) 76, Lanier (11-10, 3-2) 49
Brackenridge (8-15, 3-2) 55, Sam Houston (8-6 ???, 4-1) 46
District 29-5A
Laredo Cigarroa (11-2 ???, 2-0) 82, Eagle Pass Winn (0-5 ???, 0-2) 13
Laredo Nixon (10-8 ???, 1-1) 41, Laredo Martin (4-10 ???, 1-1) 31
Southside (10-6 ???, 2-0) 65, Somerset (4-11 ???, 0-2) 51
Uvalde (2-14 ???, 1-0) at Medina Valley (5-11. 0-1) (score unavailable)
Non-district
Bandera (6-7 ???) at Fox Tech (2-17 ???) (score unavailable)
Young Women’s Leadership Academy (15-10) 55, Pleasanton (7-10 ???) 36
Boerne ISD Tournament
Boerne Champion 52, East Central (9-11) 45
Southwest (14-7) 53, Boerne 41
Brenham 52, East Central (9-11) 32
Southwest (14-7) 58, Houston St. Agnes 38
District 27-5A
Floresville (10-11, 5-2) 73, Memorial (1-18 ???, 0-5 ???) 12
Kerrville Tivy (15-4 ???, 4-0 ???) 41, Seguin (9-13, 2-4) 28
San Marcos (19-6, 5-1) 66, Kennedy (5-13 ???, 0-4 ???) 38
Boerne Champion (13-8, 4-2) 51, Lockhart (3-11 ???, 0-4 ???) 20
District 29-5A
Laredo Cigarroa (12-2 ???, 3-0) 59, Uvalde (2-15 ???, 1-1 ???) 19
Southside (11-6 ???, 3-0) 57, Laredo Martin (4-11 ???, 1-2) 39
Medina Valley (5-11 ???. 0-1 ???) at Eagle Pass Winn (0-5 ???, 0-2) (score unavailable)
Laredo Nixon (11-8 ???, 2-1) d. Somerset (4-12 ???, 0-3) (score unavailable)
TAPPS 4-4A
San Antonio Christian (18-4, 3-1) 42, Cornerstone Christian (8-10 ???, 2-3) 37
Non-district
Young Women’s Leadership Academy (16-10) 77, Brooks Academy (1-3 ???) 42
District 28-5A
Highlands (16-9, 6-0) 62, Sam Houston (8-7 ???, 4-2) 39
Jefferson (5-15, 2-5) 29, McCollum (1-15, 0-6) 23
Brackenridge (9-15, 4-2) 48, Burbank (9-12 ???, 2-3 ???) 39
Lanier (12-10, 4-2) 55, Edison (6-16, 1-5) 34
TAPPS 4-4A
Holy Cross (10-9, 2-2) 58, TMI (3-12 ???, 0-4 ???) 21
Laredo St. Augustine (10-9 ???, 2-3) 39, Providence (1-20, 0-4) 25
Victoria St. Joseph (21-5, 5-0) 47, Corpus Christi Incarnate Word (14-9, 4-1) 43
Non-district
Laredo United South (10-3 ???) 75, South San (10-11) 46
Rank-Team-Last Week
1. East Central – 2
2. South San – 1
3. Burbank – 3
4. Lanier – 5
5. Central Catholic – 4
6. McCollum – 10
7. Sam Houston – 9
8. Harlandale – 6
9. Highlands – 8
10. Southwest – 7
11. Brackenridge – 13
12. Kennedy – 14
13. Jefferson – 12
14. Edison – 11
15. Memorial – 15
Rank-Team-Last Week
1. Southwest – 1
2. Highlands – 2
3. South San – 3
4. Southside – 5
5. East Central – 4
6. Brackenridge – 7
7. Sam Houston – 6
8. Lanier – 8
9. Holy Cross – 9
10. Harlandale – 10
11. Kennedy – 11
12. Burbank – 13
13. Edison – 12
14. Young Women’s Leadership Academy – 14
15. Jefferson – 15
AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Burbank, Central Catholic, Harlandale, Kennedy, McCollum, Memorial, Sam Houston.
PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:
link unavailable
McCollum started the season strong under first-year coach Marcus Alvarado, but by the Harlandale ISD Tournament, it needed to recapture a little bit of that spark.
The Cowboys (8-8) did exactly that in the two-day tournament it co-hosted with Harlandale. McCollum split its four tournament games, winning the last two Saturday after dropping a couple of close ones.
As it approached the final day, McCollum had lost five of the previous six games.
“I feel we had a good start this year,” Alvarado said. “Then we did hit a little bit of a rough patch, but that’s to be expected. The guys have responded going into district. The practices have been really intense and they’re very focused on what we want to do.”
Harlandale (12-6) fared best among area entries, winning three of its four games. Central Catholic (7-10) split its games. Kennedy (6-9) and Memorial (7-11) each claimed one win in the tournament.
Harlandale’s only loss came against San Antonio Christian, which breezed through its four tournament games without a loss. McCollum played the closest game against the Lions, falling 64-58 Friday.
Jay edged the Cowboys 52-50 in McCollum’s tournament opener.
“They hit a shot with two seconds left,” Alvarado said. “It was a tough shot. We had an opportunity to (win) both of those games. We gave ourselves a chance.”
McCollum triumphed 60-59 over Central Catholic in another nail-biter Saturday and closed the two-day event with a 70-59 win over Kennedy.
Against Central Catholic, McCollum raced to a 41-30 halftime lead. However, the Buttons outscored McCollum 14-4 in the third quarter and stayed close thereafter despite playing without injured 6-foot-10 senior center Tony Lewis.
Sophomore Santiago Vasquez led McCollum wth 17 points. Angel Loera added 11 points and post Roger Martinez, whom Alvarado said emerged during the tournament, had 10. Noah Garcia scored nine points.
“Central Catholic came back and took a five- or six-point lead in the fourth quarter,” Alvarado said. “The guys responded really well. It was really good that we got to experience that kind of competition and that kind of game.”
Raul Aguilar led Central Catholic with 16 points. Thomas Andry and Robert Elizondo scored 13 and 10, respectively. Julian Rodriguez contributed nine points.
Martinez scored a team-high 17 points for the Cowboys against Kennedy. Vasquez and Steven Villarreal each recorded 11 points. Jose Guajardo chipped in nine.
Kennedy had four players in double figures, led by Marc Esquivel’s 18 points. Andrew Rivera (15 points), Julian Landeros (12) and Isaac Castro (10) were the Rockets’ other top scorers.
McCollum began the week with another close loss. Lanier (7-10, 1-0) defeated the Cowboys 70-62 Tuesday in the district opener for both teams.
Alvarado said his goal for the tournament was to get additional players into the games. McCollum has played between eight and 13 players each game.
“Everybody responded very well,” he said, “which allowed us to get some momentum going back into our district schedule.”
Harlandale claimed tournament wins over Carrizo Springs ( 62-41) and Memorial (54-45) Friday. The Indians also defeated Kennedy Dec. 13.
San Antonio Christian defeated Harlandale 52-41 Dec. 13 in the de facto championship game of the round-robin tournament. Senior Ram Torres scored 23 points for the Indians. Ryan Blanquiz added seven points.
Central Catholic defeated Memorial 70-65 and nipped Jay 74-70 Saturday.
Aguilar supplied 18 points against Jay. Senior Tanner Nagel and Rodriguez each scored 16. Individual statistics for Memorial were unavailable.
Sam Houston
The Hurricanes (2-8) picked up their first two wins of the season at the River City Classic last weekend. While playing a difficult schedule, Sam Houston was winless in six games going into the tournament, after reaching the Class 3A state tournament last season.
Sam Houston split its four tournament games at New Braunfels Canyon. The Hurricanes defeated New Braunfels 63-56 in its tourney opener Friday. After falling 50-40 to Waco Midway later in the day and 52-45 to Marshall Saturday, the Hurricanes finished the tournament with a 54-50 win over O’Connor.
The Hurricanes outscored New Braunfels 10-3 in overtime. Junior Robert Christian scored a team-high 20 points for Sam Houston. Raymonte Prime (13 points) and Jawon Anderson (11) also reached double digits. Against O’Connor, Christian produced 21 points and Anderson scored 12.
The Hurricanes’ sixth loss was a 60-40 decision Tuesday against Burbank (13-4, 1-0) at the Lanier Athletic Center. The game was the District 28-5A opener for both teams.
Burbank
In addition to their first district win over Sam Houston, the Bulldogs (2-8) split two games last weekend in the Pride of Texas Tournament at Corpus Christi Tuloso-Midway.
Juan Castillo scored 17 points and Jordan Santos added 15 in the win against Beeville. Alejandro Manjarrez and Nathaniel Rodriguez chipped in with nine and eight, respectively.
Castillo again led the Burbank offense with 15 points against Brazosport. Michael Mascorro (12 points) and Moses Betancourt (10) also were in double figures. Matthew Juarez scored nine.
AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: East Central, Highlands, South San, Southwest.
Photos taken by KJ Toso. For more photos or to purchase photos, please visit: http://kjtoso.photoshelter.com
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East Central likes the view from where it’s standing.
The Hornets (8-5), who finished third in the SAISD Tournament Saturday, have been non-traditional in recent seasons. In short, they’ve had some height.
This year’s model will look familiar to old-school East Central fans. The vertically challenged Hornets are a throwback to the running, full-court pressing, half-court harassing style that the school’s storied tradition was built upon.
“This team plays together,” East Central coach Jeff Sweet said. “They have a lot of energy offensively, but they feed off playing defense. I think they’re going to get better.”
East Central turned on the jets after MacArthur closed within five points in the third-place game at the Alamo Convocation Center. The Hornets finished the game on a 24-10 run for a 68-49 victory.
Senior Garrett White supplied 17 points and East Central forced nine turnovers in the final quarter. White and senior leader Brandon Keno each scored 20.
Keno, at 6-foot-2, is one of the tallest Hornets as well as the lone returning 2013-14 starter. He’s one of eight seniors on the roster.
“We lost four guys (to graduation),” Sweet said. “But we’ve got a lot of guys for whom it’s their senior year and they’ve waited their turn. They were ready to step up and play.”
East Central reached the semifinals with a 76-54 win over Littleton (Colo.) Heritage and a 72-65 victory over Holmes Friday. The Hornets lost 69-58 to runner-up Clark in the semis Saturday.
In the third-place game, MacArthur’s Jonathan Martin began the second half with a go-ahead layup. The Brahmas were within 44-41 at the 5:46 mark of the fourth quarter. White responded with three consecutive baskets and a pair of free throws, stretching East Central’s lead to 52-43.
The Hornets’ District 28-6A rival, South San (10-3), reached the consolation finals in the three-day tournament, which began Thursday. The Bobcats dropped a 55-49 overtime heartbreaker to Wagner in the bracket championship game.
South San established a 12-9 lead in the first quarter, as senior post Andre Flores scored eight points.
A layup from senior point guard Olando Lopez gave the Bobcats a 19-15 lead with 4:01 until halftime. South San, which struggled with turnovers, went scoreless for the next nine minutes and 21 seconds.
South San battled back to lead most of the fourth quarter. A three-pointer by Art Rangel made it 43-42 with 31.8 seconds left in regulation, but Wagner managed a tying free throw and took the lead with a six-point spurt in overtime.
“(Wagner) has a very talented basketball team,” South San coach Ray Carroll said. “They deserved to win that game.
“We went nearly 10 minutes without a basket. I don’t know too many teams that can win that way.”
The other area entrants were Highlands (5-10) and Southwest (5-6). Highlands edged St. Anthony 62-60 in its tournament opener, but wasn’t able to muster another win. The Dragons began with a 58-51 loss to eventual champion Brandeis, but weren’t able to claim a win.
Southwest led Smithson Valley 25-23 early in the third quarter. The Dragons inched ahead again on a three-point shot from four-year veteran Aaron Embry, a scoop shot off a steal from Jovani Oranday and a free throw from freshman D’Andre Griffin.
Embry hit a fadeaway jumper in the closing seconds of the quarter for a 38-37 advantage. Smithson Valley answered with an 18-2 run and won 58-42.
“We have to be more consistent,” first-year Southwest coach Lance Linscomb said. “We played Brandeis within seven, but we have all the markings of a young team. We have to keep improving and growing.”
MORE TO COME
AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Southwest.
Photo taken by KJ Toso. For more photos or to purchase photos, please visit: http://kjtoso.photoshelter.com
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Southwest has plenty of talent. Now it’s finding ways to blend its abilities together, and that should concern its District 28-6A rivals.
Junior wing Alexandra Busby said the Dragons (12-4) unlocked some of their potential Friday in a 48-35 non-district win over Judson (8-9) at Southwest.
“We’re learning to suck it up and play (through) our mental mistakes,” said Busby, who led Southwest with 15 points. “We didn’t pout. Tonight, we were really positive. We played well the whole game.
“We were a much different team.”
The victory extended the Dragons’ winning streak to three games. They’ve won four of their last five.
“We had that little stretch in the fourth quarter where we stopped scoring,” Southwest coach Bill Avey said. “Fortunately, for the most part, we took it to them.”
Judson’s press bothered the Dragons on their first few possessions, but Southwest then made crisp passes and used them to set up good shots. It also attacked the glass relentlessly.
Southwest finished the game with a 24-19 rebounding edge. The Dragons also won the turnover battle, forcing Judson into 18 with an active halfcourt trapping zone and only commiting 11 – sixth in the fourth quarter after the Rockets reinstated its press.
“We just thought we had to play zone because of their quickness,” Avey said of the switch from Southwest’s traditional man-to-man. “We wanted to take away the lane and force them to take (three-point shots). They hit a couple, but you have to live with that.”
After falling behind 7-1 in the first two minutes, the Dragons took the lead by scoring the next seven points.
Busby (6 rebounds, 3 assists) began the streak with three-point basket. Briana Longoria (8 points, 6 assists) drove and earned a pair of free throws, making each. Senior post Cheyenne Ortiz made an immediate impact off the bench, grabbing two rebounds.
Southwest’s post players combined for 18 points and 13 rebounds.
“We’ve been emphasizing post play,” Avey said. “That’s a big part of our team. We have a sort of a post-by-committee. Playing the post is such a tough job. So, we rotate them to keep them fresher. That makes the team better.”
The Dragons closed the first half with a 10-3 run. Senior Emilee Martinez scored off a rebound. Busby and Longoria sank consecutive three-point shots. Busby finished the half with a driving layup, which provided a 29-19 lead.
“We got running on our press break,” Busby explained. “Our posts can move, and they were open every time.”
Southwest outscored Judson 37-15 in the middle two quarters, but the Rockets cut the Dragons’ lead to 44-33 midway through the fourth quarter on a short jumper from Alicia Westbrook. Martinez scored on an assist from Aaliyah Holmes (8 points, 6 assists) with 1:52 left. She grabbed a defensive rebound on the ensuing possession to extinguish the threat.
“It was really good,” Busby said. “We played great defense and were actually talking to each other. Offensively, we weren’t standing around. We had the post open and the shooters open. Everything was open.”
Of the eight players Southwest employed Friday, seven returned from its 2014 area-round team. However, the Dragons are without sisters Jenyl (season-ending knee injury) and Karyssa Henry (hand injury), both of whom started a year ago.
Karyssa, a sophomore point guard, is expected to return before the Dragons begin district play. They gained Holmes, whose sister Shana is the school’s all-time leading scorer, in the offseason when her military family moved back to the area.
“Aaliyah has been unbelievable all year,” Avey said. “She can score, pass and play great defense. She has great court vision.”
NOTE: teams we cover are in boldface
No games scheduled
District 27-5A
Kerrville Tivy (14-5, 1-0) 49, Boerne Champion (6-8 ???, 0-2) 44
Lockhart (10-7 ???, 2-0) 53, Floresville (11-8, 1-1) 48
San Marcos (6-11, 1-1) 65, Alamo Heights (9-5, 1-1) 64
Seguin (6-11 ???, 2-0) 76, Memorial (7-12, 0-2) 47
District 28-5A
Highlands (6-10, 1-0) d. Edison (6-10, 1-1) (score unavailable)
Lanier (9-11, 2-0) 71, Jefferson (7-8, 0-2) 45
McCollum (9-8, 1-1) 61, Sam Houston (2-9, 0-2) 58 (OT)
Brackenridge (7-7, 1-1) 67, Harlandale (12-7, 1-1) 46
Non-district
Southside (4-7) 92, Fox Tech (7-10 ???) 41
Devine (10-2) 55, Brooks Academy (0-2 ???) 48
Non-district
O’Connor (7-9) 71, East Central (8-6) 70 (OT)
Non-district
Cotulla Tournament
AREA TEAMS – Fox Tech (7-10 ???). Finals – Saturday. (scores unavailable)
District 27-5A
Seguin (7-11 ???, 3-0) 62, Alamo Heights (9-6, 1-2) 56
San Marcos (7-11, 2-1) 75, Floresville (12-8, 2-1) 72
Kerrville Tivy (15-5, 2-0) 52, Lockhart (10-8 ???, 2-1) 46
Boerne Champion (7-8 ???, 1-2) 53, Kennedy (6-11, 0-2) 29
District 28-5A
Lanier (10-11, 3-0) 73, Brackenridge (7-8, 1-2) 70 (OT)
Highlands (7-10, 2-0) 65, Harlandale (12-8, 1-2) 56
Burbank (15-4, 2-0) 55, McCollum (9-9, 1-2) 50
Jefferson (8-8, 1-2) 49, Sam Houston (2-10, 0-3) 40
TAPPS 4-4A
San Antonio Christian (18-4, 3-0) 78, Laredo St. Augustine (7-13 ???, 1-3) 43
Cornerstone Christian (10-3 ???, 1-1 ???) 87, Victoria St. Joseph (0-4 ???, 0-3) 59
Non-district
Central Catholic (8-10 ???) 68, Corpus Christi Incarnate Word (7-8 ???) 30
South San (11-3) 57, New Braunfels Canyon (4-9 ???) 49
Antonian (12-5) 80, Holy Cross (6-12) 36
Cotulla Tournament
AREA TEAMS – Fox Tech (7-10 ???). Finals – Saturday. (scores unavailable)
TAPPS 4-4A
TMI (9-9, 3-0) 59, Corpus Christi John Paul II (7-7, 2-1) 51
Non-district
Taft (10-7) 58, Southwest (5-7 ???) 50
Brandeis (15-2) 68, Central Catholic (7-11 ???) 53
East Central (9-6) 90, Lee (4-10 ???) 73
Johnson (13-5) 80, Edison (6-11) 75 (OT)
Cotulla Tournament
AREA TEAMS – Fox Tech (7-10 ???). Finals – Saturday. (scores unavailable)
NOTE: teams we cover are in boldface
No games scheduled
District 27-5A
San Marcos (17-5, 3-0) 59, Alamo Heights (8-4 ???, 2-2) 32
Floresville (8-10, 3-1) 74, Lockhart (3-10 ???, 0-3) 42
Kerrville Tivy (13-4 ???, 2-0 ???) 43, Boerne Champion (9-6, 2-2) 36
Seguin (9-10, 2-1) 68, Memorial (1-15 ???, 0-3 ???) 17
District 28-5A
Highlands (13-9, 3-0) 68, Edison (6-14, 1-3) 29
Lanier (10-9 ???, 2-1 ???) 74, Jefferson (4-13, 1-3) 44
Brackenridge (7-13, 2-1) 66, Harlandale (9-11, 3-1) 47
Sam Houston (6-5 ???, 3-0) 52, McCollum (1-13, 0-4) 35
Non-district
Center Point (12-4) 53, Fox Tech (2-16 ???) 18
Hawkins (1-10 ???) at Brooks Academy (1-2 ???) (score unavailable)
Marion (10-6) 76, Kennedy (5-12 ???) 65
Clemens (20-3) 75, East Central (7-8) 35
Smithson Valley (17-5) 64, Southwest (12-5) 62
South San (10-10) 63, Eagle Pass (1-9 ???) 33
No games scheduled
No games scheduled
Friday’s games
District 27-5A
Lockhart (3-10 ???, 0-3) at Kerrville Tivy (13-4 ???, 2-0 ???) (score unavailable)
San Marcos (18-5, 4-0) 54 Floresville (8-11, 3-2) 37
Alamo Heights (9-4 ???, 3-2) 43, Seguin (9-11, 2-2) 26
Boerne Champion (10-6, 3-2) 46, Kennedy (5-12 ???, 0-3 ???) 39
District 28-5A
Lanier (11-9, 3-1) 62, Brackenridge (7-14, 2-2) 40
Burbank (8-11 ???, 1-2 ???) 52, McCollum (1-14, 0-5) 28
Highlands (14-9, 4-0) 73, Harlandale (9-12, 3-2) 47
Sam Houston (7-5 ???, 4-0) 47, Jefferson (4-14, 1-4) 35
District 29-5A
Uvalde (2-14 ???, 1-0) 47, Eagle Pass Winn (0-4 ???, 0-1) 20
Laredo Cigarroa (10-2 ???, 1-0) 68, Medina Valley (5-11. 0-1) 41
Laredo Martin (4-9 ???, 1-0) 57, Somerset (4-10 ???, 0-1) 35
Southside (9-6 ???, 1-0) 68, Laredo Nixon (9-8 ???, 0-1) 61
TAPPS 4-4A
San Antonio Christian (17-4, 2-1) 57, Laredo St. Augustine (9-9 ???, 1-3) 38
Victoria St. Joseph (17-5, 4-0) 62, Cornerstone Christian (7-6 ???, 1-2) 22
Non-district
San Marcos Academy (6-6 ???) 49, Holy Cross (8-9) 38
East Central (8-8) 79, Memorial (1-16 ???) 6
Blanco (1-8 ???) at Brooks Academy (1-2 ???) (score unavailable)
Hawkins (2-10 ???) 41, Fox Tech (2-17 ???) 35
Austin Hyde Park Baptist (3-7 ???) vs. Young Women’s Leadership Academy (9-5 ???) (score unavailable)
TAPPS 4-4A
Corpus Christi John Paul II (2-1 ???, 2-1) at TMI (3-11 ???, 0-3) (score unavailable)
Corpus Christi Incarnate Word (13-5 ???, 4-0) 59, Providence (1-19, 0-3) 11
Non-district
Holy Cross (9-9) 50, Young Women’s Leadership Academy (9-6 ???) 45
Rank-Team-Last Week
1. South San – 1
2. East Central – 2
3. Burbank – 9
4. Central Catholic – 3
5. Lanier – 5
6. Harlandale – 8
7. Southwest – 7
8. Highlands – 12
9. Sam Houston – 6
10. McCollum – 4
11. Edison – 10
12. Jefferson – 11
13. Brackenridge – 14
14. Kennedy – 13
15. Memorial – 15
Rank-Team-Last Week
1. Southwest – 2
2. Highlands – 1
3. South San – 4
4. East Central – 3
5. Southside – 7
6. Sam Houston – 8
7. Brackenridge – 6
8. Lanier – 5
9. Holy Cross – 12
10. Harlandale – 11
11. Kennedy – 9
12. Edison – 10
13. Burbank – 13
14. Young Women’s Leadership Academy – 14
15. Jefferson – 15
Knights come through in 4th quarter at Pearsall
AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Holy Cross.
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In Holy Cross’ first eight seasons of girls basketball, the Knights never had won a tournament championship.
“We’ve had some pretty good teams, but we’d never won a tournament,” Holy Cross coach Jesse Arguello said. “We had, maybe, gotten to the finals a couple of times.”
Holy Cross (8-6) sealed the deal Dec. 6 at the Pearsall Tournament. The Knights defeated Medina 36-29 in the championship game.
It was their second come back victory in three tournament games. Holy Cross also beat Cornerstone Christian 52-46 in its TAPPS 4-4A district opener Dec. 2.
“There were no big 6A schools, but we had to play well to beat some of those teams,” Arguello said. “It was a good week. We got four wins out of it. I’m very happy with that.
“It was a matter of persevering through some rough moments.”
Holy Cross trailed by 10 points in a pool-play game against Pearsall, so decided to press the Mavericks. The deficit soon was wiped out and the Knights won 53-42 in overtime Dec. 4 to advance to the title game.
“We hadn’t been playing well, so we changed up our defense,” Arguello said. “From that moment through overtime, it was a 21-point swing. They didn’t handle that change well and our girls got very aggressive on defense. They made some bad passes, and we got some energy from that.”
Brianna Salinas scored 18 points, Hayley Andrade added 17 and Victoria Gonzalez 14 against Pearsall.
The Knights also crushed Dilley 45-15 in another pool-play game. In the championship game, Holy Cross overcame a height advantage to win the close game.
“It was two fairly evenly matched teams,” Arguello said. “Our defense was strong, but we struggled offensively until the fourth quarter. Then we outscored them 14.6.
”It was another game where we kept plugging until things turned or way.”
Arguello said that is the type of approach his team will need to take this year.
“These girls have struggled, but they don’t quit,” he said. “We play pretty good defense, that’s our strength. If we play good defense, we can be in every game. If we manage some offense, then we have a chance to win.
“We’re able to win close games this year. We didn’t do that last year.”
Holy Cross won another during the week against Cornerstone Christian in the Knights’ gym. Andrade (16 points), Salinas (11), Gonzalez (10) and Bryanna Solis (9 points) were the top scorers as Holy Cross scored all 10 of its fourth-quarter points at the free-throw stripe.
“Unfortunately, we put ourselves in that position,” Arguello said. “I told the girls every game has its own personality, so expect it to be different when we play Cornerstone again. We need to play consistent defense all four quarters.”
The Knights get back into district play this week with a game at San Antonio Christian Tuesday and a trip to Corpus Christi Incarnate Word Saturday.
Young, talented Hornets tested by schedule
AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: East Central.
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After being hit by a blizzard, the crucial thing to remember is that digging your way out is going to take some time. Trying to do too much too soon can have deadly consequences.
San Marcos (then 10-4) hit East Central with a 23-1 run that spanned the first two quarters Dec. 2 in the Stan Bonewitz Center. The host Hornets (6-5) never quite got their heads above the snowline, but closed to within 52-38 when the non-district game ended.
The Rattlers led 27-15 at halftime.
“We talked about the first three minutes of the second half,” second-year East Central coach Ginger Hartman said. “We wanted to win those three minutes. Then we wanted to take it possession by possession. I told them I wanted them to play hard, no matter what the score was.”
East Central staked out a 12-4 lead with 2:21 remaining in the first quarter.
Hornets sophomore forward Brittany Rodgers (21 points) scored the game’s first three points. Six-foot-2 freshman Nalyssa Smith scored inside and assisted classmate Makayla Hamilton on a 15-foot jumper that provided a 7-2 advantage.
Smith (10 points, 11 rebounds) made a pair of free throws and Rodgers nailed a three-point basket to establish the eight-point lead. The Hornets couldn’t squelch the impending Rattlers run until the sophomore sank two free throws in the closing seconds of the half.
“We were doing some great things,” Hartman said. “We just aren’t able to really finish (shots). Once we adjusted, we started playing better and picked it up a bit.”
San Marcos tied the score 12-12 with 36.5 seconds remaining in the first quarter on a fast-break basket from Bailey Hill (16 points). East Central’s shooting cooled and the Ratllers simultaneously revved up their transition game.
A steal and layup from San Marcos point guard Shannon Mathis (14 points, 3 steals) increased the Rattlers’ lead to 14 points just 10.5 seconds before halftime.
“They definitely did a good job of handling the ball,” Hartman said. “We know what we need to work on from here, but the girls did a good job.”
San Marcos led 52-23 with 6:38 left in the fourth quarter, following a basket from Hill. The Hornets scored the next 15 points, making six free throws in the spurt. Rodgers accounted for seven points.
Her three-pointer closed the gap to 52-31 with 1:44 left. Smith drew a three-point play with little more than a minute on the clock, but missed the free throw. However, freshman Kayla Dotson was in position and scored on the rebound.
Smith also put back a rebound, with 12.8 seconds to close the scoring. She’s one of four freshman getting significant playing time. East Central is playing without injured two-year starter Janik Alexander-Smith.
“I’m very pleased with them,” Hartman said. “They’re working hard and they don’t give up. They keep coming after you the whole game.
“I like the (internal) competition. I have people on the bench who I can bring in at any time and give the starters a breather.”
Harlandale reaches consolation championship
AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Harlandale, Highlands, McCollum, South San, Southwest.
PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:
South San hadn’t confronted any adversity before its tournament began. Highlands, on the other hand, hadn’t seen much else in the early stages of this young season.
The 75th annual South San ISD Tournament presented each with the opportunity to venture into the crucible and leave seemingly as stronger teams than they had been.
That, obviously, was the case for Highlands (4-8), which won its first three games in Texas’ oldest continuous tournament and finished fourth among 24 teams. South San (7-1), undefeated through four games, endured its first loss but finished with another winning streak.
Highlands began the tournament Dec. 4 with an 87-57 rout of Eagle Pass. The Owls continued the surge to defeat 2013-14 regional semifinalist Harlingen South 77-67 and defending District 29-4A champion Floresville 72-70.
“This has been a good tournament for us,” Highlands coach Rufus Lott said. “It’s been a great experience. There are a lot of good teams here and a lot of different styles of play.”
South San won its last three games, including a buzzer-beating 44-41 overtime win over Texas Military Institute in the fifth-place game. The Bobcats’ only loss came against Floresville 63-55 Dec. 5 in their tournament opener.
Against TMI, neither team had scored for more than eight minutes when Bobcats wing Curtis Allen caught a pass from senior point guard Olando Lopez (16 points) in the left corner. Allen, fading away slightly, sank the three-point shot with 2.5 seconds left in overtime.
“What better way to win a game than in the last second?,” South San coach Ray Carroll said. “I’m so happy for our guys. They’ve gotten off to a really good start this year.”
Harlandale also fared well in the three-day tournament, finishing as the runner-up in the consolation bracket.
The Indians lost 63-43 to Antonian Dec. 6 in the consolation championship, but were within two at halftime. Ryan Blanquiz led the Indians with 14 points and senior leader Ram Torres scored nine. Their only other loss was 67-57 to MacArthur Dec. 4 in their first tourney game.
“We’ve had a great start to the season,” Harlandale coach Chris Adamek said. “With only Jesus (Maltos) and Ram back, all the younger players have done a very good job of stepping up their play. We’ve been facing some good competition.”
The area’s other tournament entries, Southwest (5-3) and McCollum (6-5), each won their final consolation-bracket games.
Highlands had tackled a murderous schedule prior to the tournament. Complicating matters further, the Owls top two 2013-14 scorers have been out of the picture. DeMarcus Hartfield transferred to TMI and JerMichael Shirley broke his leg this fall.
The Owls couldn’t hit shots early in their 72-52 loss to New Braunfels in the third-place game. They finished strong, though, outscoring the Unicorns 20-10 in the final quarter. Lamar Sterling scored 12 of his 21 points in the quarter. Christopher Hartfield scored 11.
“We had a few kids missing to take the SAT and ACT (tests),” Lott said. “That hurts a little bit when you’re trying to play an uptempo, pressure game.
“I’m pleased with how far we’ve come so far. We’ve played some of the better teams in the city. We have a lot of inexperience and that’s hurt us finishing games.”
After the loss to Floresville, South San regrouped to smash Corpus Christi Flour Bluff 61-44 Dec. 5 and Warren 64-37 behind 28 from Allen. Lopez and Allen combined for 43 points against Flour Bluff.
Arthur Rangel scored 13 points against TMI.
“We struggled with Floresville,” Carroll said. “After that, I had a conversation with the players. I told them, ‘People will judge you by how you respond to this. I asked them to bounce back, and they won three games and (fifth place).”
MORE TO COME
NOTE: teams we cover in boldface
Monday’s games
No games scheduled
Tuesday’s games
District 27-5A
Alamo Heights (8-4, 1-0) 54, Boerne Champion (2-5 ???, 0-1) 46
Floresville (9-5, 1-0) 60, Kennedy (5-8, 0-1) 57
Lockhart (6-4 ???, 1-0) 59, Memorial (6-8, 0-1) 53
Seguin (4-8 ???, 1-0) 92, San Marcos (4-8, 0-1) 66
District 28-5A
Burbank (12-2, 1-0) 60, Sam Houston (0-6, 0-1) 40
Harlandale (9-5, 1-0) 62, Jefferson (7-7, 0-1) 47
Lanier (6-8, 1-0) 70, McCollum (6-6, 0-1) 62
Edison (6-9, 1-0) 55, Brackenridge (6-7, 0-1) 54 (OT)
TAPPS 4-4A
San Antonio Christian (13-4, 2-0) 66, Holy Cross (6-10, 1-1) 25
Laredo St. Augustine (2-7 ???, 0-1) at Corpus Christi Incarnate Word (1-3 ???, 0-1) (score unavailable)
TMI (8-9, 2-0) 80, Victoria St. Joseph (0-3 ???, 0-2) 39
Non-district
Clark (5-6) 62, Central Catholic (5-8 ???) 58 (OT)
East Central (5-4) 89, New Braunfels (4-7 ???) 78
South San (8-1) 67, Roosevelt (5-7) 60
Brooks Academy (0-0 ???) at Jourdanton (0-5 ???) (score unavailable)
Fox Tech (7-7) 59, Kenedy (6-3 ???) 56
Wednesday’s games
No games scheduled
Thursday’s games
Non-district
Gregory-Portland Tournament
Houston Clear Lake 66, Lanier (6-9) 51
New Braunfels Canyon Tournament
AREA TEAMS – Sam Houston (0-6). FINALS – Saturday. (scores uanavailable)
Pride of Texas Tournament
At Corpus Christi
Georgetown 57, Burbank (12-3) 55
SAISD Tournament
Lee 83, Wagner 81
Clark 89, El Paso Eastlake 46
East Central (6-4) 76, Littleton (Colo.) Heritage 56
Holmes 80, Antonian 38
Brandeis 58, Southwest (5-4) 51
Highlands (5-8) 62, St. Anthony’s 60
MacArthur 53, South San (8-2) 45
Taft 59, Smithson Valley 35
Friday’s games
Non-district
Wildcat Classic
At Gregory-Portland
Austin Vandegrift 68, Lanier (6-11 ???) 51
Lanier (7-11 ???) 74, Corpus Christi King 63
Harlandale ISD Tournament
At Harlandale
Harlandale (11-5) 62, Carrizo Springs 41
San Antonio Christian 64, McCollum (6-8) 58
Central Catholic (6-9 ???) 70, Memorial (6-10) 65
Kennedy (6-8 ???) 63, Carrizo Springs 59
Jay 52, McCollum (6-8) 50
San Antonio Christian 73, Central Catholic (6-9 ???) 47.
Harlandale (11-5) 54, Memorial (6-10) 45
Jay 56, Kennedy (6-9 ???) 45
River City Classic
At New Braunfels Canyon
Sam Houston (1-7) 63, New Braunfels 56 (OT)
Waco Midway 50, Sam Houston (1-7) 40
Pride of Texas Tournament
At Corpus Christi
Burbank (13-4) 64, Beeville 43
Corpus Christi Flour Bluff 54, Burbank (13-4) 46
SAISD Tournament
Championship bracket
At Alamo Convocation Center
Game 13 – Clark 80, Lee 67
Game 14 – East Central (7-4) 72, Holmes 67
Game 15 – Brandeis 79, Highlands (5-9) 55
Game 16 – MacArthur 56,Taft 53.
Consolation bracket
At Lanier Athletic Center
Game 9 – Wagner 78, El Paso Eastlake 68
Game 10 – Antonian 59, Littleton (Colo.) Heritage 57Game 11 – St. Anthony 66, Southwest (5-5) 44.
Game 12 – South San (9-2) 58, Smithson Valley 55
Saturday’s games
TAPPS 4-4A
Corpus Christi John Paul II (7-6, 2-0) 59, Laredo St. Augustine (2-8 ???, 0-2) 38
Corpus Christi Incarnate Word (2-3 ???, 1-1) 55, Holy Cross (6-11, 1-2) 52
Non-district
Mustang Hoops Classic
At Natalia
Consolation third place
Fox Tech (7-9 ???) vs. Uvalde (score unavailable)
Wildcat Classic
At Gregory-Portland
Consolation third place
Lanier (7-10 ???) 60, Hutto 51
Harlandale ISD Tournament
At Harlandale
Kennedy (7-9) 78, Harlandale (11-6 ???) 70
San Antonio Christian 60, Memorial (7-11) 45
McCollum (8-8) 60, Central Catholic (7-10 ???) 59
Memorial (7-11) 69, Carrizo Springs 56
San Antonio Christian 54, Harlandale (12-5 ???) 41
Central Catholic (7-10 ???) 74, Jay 70.
McCollum (8-8) 70, Kennedy (6-10) 59
NOTE: San Antonio Christian finished round-robin tournament with 4-0 record.
River City Classic
At New Braunfels Canyon
Marshall 52, Sam Houston (2-8) 45
Sam Houston (2-8) 54, O’Connor 50
Pride of Texas Tournament
At Corpus Christi
AREA TEAMS – Burbank (13-4). (scores unavailable)
SAISD Tournament
AREA TEAMS – East Central (7-4), Highlands (5-9), South San (9-2), Southwest (5-4 ???). FINALS – Saturday at Alamo Convocation Center, 6 p.m.
Championship bracket
At Alamo Convocation Center
Semifinals
Game 19 – Clark 69, East Central (8-5) 58
Game 20 – Brandeis 67, MacArthur 55.
Third place
Game 22 – East Central (8-5) 68, MacArthur 49
Championship
Game 23 – Brandeis 77, Clark 54
Fifth-place bracket
At Lanier Athletic Center
Game A – Holmes 79, Lee 67
Game B – Taft 75, Highlands (5-10) 35
Fifth place
Game D – Holmes 68, Taft 55
Consolation bracket
At Alamo Convocation Center
Semifinals
Game 17 – Wagner 61, Antonian 57
Game 18 – South San (10-3) 56, St. Anthony 31
Consolation championship
Game 21 – Wagner 55, South San (10-3) 49 (OT)
Consolation guaranteed games
At Lanier Athletic Center
Game C – Smithson Valley 58, Southwest (5-6 ???) 42
Game F – Littleton (Colo.) Heritage 53, Southwest (5-6 ???) 45
Game G – El Paso Eastlake 65, Littleton (Colo.) Heritage 53
Consolation third place
Game E – Antonian 59, St. Anthony 44
NOTE: teams we cover in boldface
Monday’s games
No games scheduled
Tuesday’s games
District 27-5A
Memorial (1-12, 0-1) at Lockhart (3-8 ???, 0-1) (score unavailable)
Floresville (6-10, 1-1) 41, Kennedy (5-11, 0-2) 36
San Marcos (15-5, 1-0) 50, Seguin (8-10, 1-1) 27
Boerne Champion (9-4, 2-0) 52, Alamo Heights (7-3, 1-1) 44
District 28-5A
Sam Houston (5-5 ???, 2-0) 51, Burbank (6-11, 0-2) 44
Brackenridge (6-12, 1-0) 64, Edison (6-12, 1-1) 52
Lanier (9-9, 1-1) 49, McCollum (1-11, 0-2) 39
Harlandale (8-10, 2-0) 61, Jefferson (3-12, 0-2) 48
TAPPS 4-4A
Laredo St. Augustine (9-6, 1-0) at Corpus Christi Incarnate Word (6-4 ???, 1-0) (score unavailable)
San Antonio Christian (16-4, 1-1) 50, Holy Cross (8-7 ???, 1-1) 39
Victoria St. Joseph (15-5, 2-0) 66, TMI (3-10, 0-2) 16
Corpus Christi John Paul II (0-1 ???, 0-1) at Providence (1-17, 0-1) (score unavailable)
Non-district
Pleasanton (7-7 ???) 50, Fox Tech (2-14) 14
Young Women’s Leadership Academy (9-5 ???) 39, Randolph (3-9) 34
Judson (8-8) 44, East Central (6-7) 34
Southwest (11-4) 47, New Braunfels Canyon (10-7) 32
Lee (11-7) 47, South San (8-8 ???) 26
Taft (10-3 ???) 51, Southside (7-6 ???) 40
Dilley (2-3 ???) at Brooks Academy (1-2 ???) (score unavailable)
Wednesday’s games
No games scheduled
Thursday’s games
Non-district
Natalia Tournament
St. Gerard 56, Fox Tech (2-15 ???) 34
Fox Tech (2-15 ???) vs. Luling (score unavailable)
Friday’s games
District 27-5A
Floresville (7-10, 2-1) 50, Boerne Champion (9-5, 2-1) 44
Kennedy (5-11, 0-2) at Kerrville Tivy (12-4, 1-0) (score unavailable)
Alamo Heights (8-3, 2-1) 60, Lockhart (3-9 ???, 0-2 ???) 17
San Marcos (16-5, 2-0) 49, Memorial (1-13 ???, 0-2 ???) 7
District 28-5A
Jefferson (3-12, 1-2) 49, Edison (6-13, 1-2) 30
Harlandale (9-10, 3-0) 48, McCollum (1-12, 0-3) 29
Lanier (9-9, 1-1) vs. Burbank (6-11, 0-2) (scores unavailable)
Highlands (12-9, 2-0) 50, Brackenridge (6-13, 1-1) 38
TAPPS 4-4A
Victoria St. Joseph (16-5, 3-0 ) 81, Providence (1-18 ???, 0-1 ???) 17
Cornerstone Christian (5-4 ???, 1-1) 54, TMI (3-11, 0-3) 39
Non-district
Falls City (2-3 ???) at Brooks Academy (1-2 ???) (scores unavailable)
Laredo Alexander (4-3 ???) 54, South San (8-8 ???) 39
Southside (8-6 ???) 49, Stockdale (1-9 ???) 23
East Central (7-7) 73, Holmes (4-11) 37
Southwest (12-4) 48, Judson (8-9) 35
Natalia Tournament
AREA TEAMS – Fox Tech (2-15 ???). FINALS – Saturday. (scores unavailable)
Randolph Tournament
AREA TEAMS – Young Women’s Leadership Academy (9-5 ???). FINALS – Saturday. (scores unavailable)
Saturday’s games
TAPPS 4-4A
Laredo St. Augustine (9-6 ???, 1-0 ???) at Corpus Christi John Paul II (0-1 ???, 0-1) (scores unavailable)
Corpus Christi Incarnate Word (7-4 ???, 2-0 ???) 44, Holy Cross (8-8 ???, 1-2) 43
Non-district
Natalia Tournament
AREA TEAMS – Fox Tech (2-15 ???). (scores unavailable)
Randolph Tournament
AREA TEAMS – Young Women’s Leadership Academy (9-5 ???). (scores unavailable)
Rank-Team-Last Week
1. South San – 3
2. East Central – 2
3. Central Catholic – 1
4. McCollum – 5
5. Lanier – 6
6. Sam Houston – 4
7. Southwest – 9
8. Harlandale – 8
9. Burbank – 11
10. Edison – 7
11. Jefferson – 10
12. Highlands – 12
13. Kennedy – 15
14. Brackenridge – 14
15. Memorial – 13
Rank-Team-Last Week
1. Highlands – 1
2. Southwest – 2
3. East Central – 3
4. South San – 4
5. Lanier – 5
6. Brackenridge – 6
7. Southside – 7
8. Sam Houston – 8
9. Kennedy – 9
10. Edison – 10
11. Harlandale – 11
12. Holy Cross – 12
13. Burbank – 13
14. Young Women’s Leadership Academy – 14
15. Jefferson – 15
AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Highlands.
LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:
unavailable
Sometimes teams draw a spark from one player doing something differently.
Highlands junior Aaliyah Prince perked up her Owls teammates Tuesday by suddenly blocking shots, some of which officials didn’t give her credit for. Prince’s efforts disrupted Antonian’s disciplined offense and helped the Owls (8-6) assemble an 11-3 run after the Apaches threatened to put their lead out of reach early in the second quarter.
Antonian (7-2), No. 10 in the Express-News area rankings, had to hang on for a 55-54 win at Highlands’ gym.
“The key for her was getting blocks on defense,” Highlands coach Adrianna Wiatrek said. “We made a switch to a zone at the end of the second quarter. Our big girls (Susana Stephens, Jordan Brown and Monique Jackson) came in and did their job. They challenged (Antonian) in the paint. Aaliyah’s big when she forces turnovers.
“I give a lot of credit to the girls in the paint. They allowed Aaliyah and Jaz(mine Jackson) to fly around.”
Antonian led 33-24 and built a 12-point lead midway through the third quarter. Highlands was forcing turnovers with its halfcourt trap defense, but couldn’t capitalize on them.
“We’ve been behind at halftime,” Highlands senior forward Emily Pearce said. “We’ve been down by 10 points but we’ve been able to rally and come back. We did that in the (Jaguar Classic) tournament last weekend against Austin High.”
Jazmine Jackson (16 points) and Kiara Pesina combined to make three of four free throws and bring the Owls within 10 points with 1:08 left in the quarter. Andrea Valerio, a senior transfer from Colorado, and Stephens provided baskets in the final minute.
A driving layup off an assist from Pearce and a rebound basket from Jackson finished the run with Highlands trailing 41-37 about 1 ½ minutes into the last quarter.
“Free throws are our enemy,” Wiatrek said. “We missed 16 tonight and we missed 20 in our first game against Jay. In the first quarter tonight, we couldn’t knock down even the easy baskets.”
Jackson provided back-to-back baskets again with 1:48 to play, bringing Highlands within 51-49. Following a free throw from Antonian’s Brittany Parker (14 points), the Owls scored four points in a possession.
The junior made a post-up basket and drew a foul. Jackson missed the foul shot, but Prince (14 points) scored off the rebound. Highlands led 53-51.
“Everything has been clicking together,” Pearce said. “Most of us have been playing together since last year. Everybody is coming together. I think this is our year. Defensively, offensively and in terms of chemistry, everything has gotten a lot better.”
Alina Hilliard (8 points) hit a jumper from the right side to tie it and Parker converted a one-and-one to restore a 55-53 edge for the Apaches. Pesina sank a free throw with 39.5 seconds, but Jackson was unable to score on a layup with 8.9 seconds.
Nonetheless, it was a solid follow-up to Highlands’ runner-up finish at the Jaguar Classic Nov. 22.
“We had a great tournament, until the last game,” Wiatrek said. “We got to the last game, and we just shut down. But, to get there, we beat Floresville, which is a pretty legitimate team. We were down against Austin High, and we had to fight back.
“We hadn’t done that before (this year).”
The Owls clearly learned the formula from that game and applied it at the right time against Antonian.
Highlands will open its District 28-5A season Tuesday with a 6:30 p.m. game against Jefferson (1-9) at Alamo Convocation Center.
“We’re getting there,” Wiatrek said. “We’re still not where we need to be, but we’re going in the right direction. We have a lot of weapons to hurt you on offense.”
AREA TEAMS INCLUDED: Central Catholic.
PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK TO THE SOUTHSIDE REPORTER WEBSITE:
http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/Rough-return-to-Clemens-for-McConaghy-5929925.php
Central Catholic coach Bruce McConaghy didn’t receive the kind of welcome back to Clemens High School he would probably have hoped for, but that had nothing to do with hospitality or holiday spirit.
The host Buffaloes (4-0), ranked No. 2 in the Express-News area poll, overwhelmed the inexperienced Buttons (4-6) Nov. 29 in Schertz. Clemens broke open a tight game early with 16 unanswered points and cruised to an 87-52 victory.
“I’ve been back here before,” said McConaghy, who coached Clemens from 2000 to 2005. “It’s not that big of a deal. But it was a good time. There are a lot of good people here.”
Central Catholic used eight players in the contest, only one of whom saw significant playing time last season as the Buttons posted a 25-8 record. Guards Joseph and Jaime Nava are out with injuries.
In fact, the lone returning starter, 6-foot-10 Tony Lewis, was not fully healthy for the non-district game. The senior was coping with an injury to his left leg.
“He’s a good player,” third-year Clemens coach Clifton Ellis said. “We wanted to take him off the spots where he was used to catching the ball. We knew he was ailing a little bit. We felt we needed to make him get up and down the court a little bit, so we could minimize his size a little. We did a good job of that.”
Lewis finished with a team-high 12 points for Central Catholic. Senior guard Tanner Nagel (11 points) was the only other Buttons player in double figures.
Clemens had five double-digit scorers, led by backup post Devante Ford with 15. Three were substitutes.
“They’re doing well,” McConaghy said. “They have a good, strong team. Coach Ellis is a great coach and he’s doing a good job with them.”
The Buffaloes return their top five scorers from last year’s Class 4A state semifinalists.
They staked out a 7-2 lead, but the Buttons battled back to tie it 7-7 on a three-pointer from Nagel. A basket from Lewis in the paint and a driving layup from Julian Rodriguez (8 points) tied it once more at 11-11. Lewis supplied another tying hoop with 1:16 remaining in the first quarter.
“Central Catholic gave us a good look,” Ellis said. “They slowed us down. They forced us to play (a different style). We like to get the ball upcourt as fast as we can.”
Clemens scored the next 16 points, including a closely guarded three-pointer from Mitchell McMullen at the first-quarter buzzer. By halftime, the Buffaloes led 39-19.
“That was big because that’s when we were (struggling),” Ellis said of McMullen’s basket. “The things we were trying to do weren’t really working, but you’ve got to keep playing, and eventually they will.”
Central Catholic scored the first five points in the second half on a driving basket from Rodriguez and a three-pointer by Charlie Lopez. Two free throws from Lewis pout the Buttons within 42-26 with 6:33 left in the third quarter.
Another buzzer-beating, three-pointer – this time from Darrell Harris – increased Clemens’ lead to 71-38 when the quarter ended.
“They’re really coming along,” Ellis said. “The younger guys have some good guys to learn from and the older guys are approaching things the right way. We’ve got some good depth.”
Central Catholic scored the game’s last eight points. Aguilar made a driving layup, Robert Elizondo sank a three-pointer, Nagel notched a layup and Lopez made two free throws.
McConaghy said his main emphasis going forward was for the team to play as a unit.
“We’ve been playing pretty well,” McConaghy said. “We didn’t do some things today. After that first quarter, it was downhill.”
The Buttons defeated La Vernia (1-2) 63-48 Nov. 25 as Rodriguez scored 16 points. Lopez contributed 11 points. Aguilar and Nagel scored nine points apiece. Lewis did not play.
NOTE: teams we cover are in boldface
Non-district
McCollum (5-2) 78, Seguin (1-6) 74
Harlandale (6-3) 69, Holy Cross (1-9 ???) 27
Steele (5-2) 65, Central Catholic (4-7 ???) 46
Reagan (6-1) 92, East Central (1-3) 77
TAPPS 4-4A
Holy Cross (2-8 ???, 1-0) 76, Cornerstone Christian (5-3 ???, 0-1) 54
TMI (4-7, 1-0) 53, Laredo St. Augustine (2-6 ???, 0-1) 26
Non-district
South San (4-0) 75, Lee (1-4 ???) 49
Del Rio (1-1 ???) 70, Memorial (5-4) 43
Marshall (5-2) 75, Highlands (1-6) 60
Southwest (3-1) 54, Edison (2-6) 52
Cotulla (1-1 ???) 57, Fox Tech (2-6) 56
Kennedy (5-3) 57, Jefferson (5-3 ???) 52
Lanier (4-5) 85, Southside (1-3 ???) 60
Holmes (5-1) 65, Sam Houston (0-5) 61
No games scheduled
Non-district
CCCA Tournament
At Corpus Christi Miller
Brackenridge (5-4) 79, McAllen Rowe 61
Corpus Christi King 93, Memorial (5-5) 46
Corpus Christi London Tournament
Corpus Christi Incarnate Word 57, Fox Tech (3-5 ???) 14
Fox Tech (3-5 ???) 53, George West 41
Hondo Tournament
AREA TEAMS – Burbank (7-3). Finals – Saturday. (scores unavailable)
Marble Falls Tournament
Edison (3-7) 58, Bandera 52
Killeen 66, Edison (3-7) 55
Pearsall Tournament
Holy Cross (4-8 ???) 64, Carrizo Springs 51
Holy Cross (4-8 ???) 56, Medina Valley 31
Crystal City 61, Southside (2-7 ???) 55
Seguin Tournament
OTHER AREA TEAMS – East Central (1-3), Kennedy (5-3). Finals – Saturday.
Steele 89, Lanier (4-7) 83
Taft 69, Jefferson (5-5 ???) 56
Jay 62, Lanier (4-7) 60
La Vernia 63, Jefferson (5-5 ???) 42
South San Tournament
OTHER AREA TEAMS – South San (4-0). Finals – Saturday.
MacArthur 67, Harlandale (6-4) 57
Pflugerville 84, McCollum (5-3) 52
Clemens 99, Southwest (3-2) 67
Highlands (2-6) 87, Eagle Pass 57
Non-district
CCCA Tournament
At Corpus Christi Miller
Lee 68, Brackenridge (6-5) 61
McAllen Rowe 66, Memorial (6-6) 38
Brackenridge (6-5) 80, Alice 43
Memorial (6-6) 59, Corpus Christi Moody 58
Corpus Christi London Tournament
AREA TEAMS – Fox Tech (3-5 ???). Finals – Saturday. (scores unavailable)
Hondo Tournament
Burbank (10-2 ???) 63, Hondo 18
Marble Falls Tournament
Denton Guyer 57, Edison (4-8) 49
Edison (4-8) 71, Marble Falls 54
Pearsall Tournament
Holy Cross (6-8 ???) 49, Crystal City 42
Holy Cross (6-8 ???) 61, Pleasanton 55
Seguin Tournament
OTHER AREA TEAMS – Jefferson (5-5 ???), Lanier (4-7). Finals – Saturday.
East Central (2-4 ???) 82, Kennedy (5-5 ???) 57
Judson 92, East Central (2-4 ???) 86
Laredo United South 81, Kennedy (5-5 ???) 51
South San Tournament
Harlandale (8-4) 56, Southwest (4-3) 53
Southwest (4-3) 63, McCollum (5-5) 42
Antonian 60, McCollum (5-5) 49
Highlands (3-6) 77, Harlingen South 67
Harlandale (8-4) 68, Roma 44
Floresville 63, South San (5-1) 55
South San (5-1) 61, Corpus Christi Flour Bluff 44
Highlands (3-6) 72, Floresville 70
Non-district
Central Catholic (5-7 ???) 65, Georgetown East View 44
CCCA Tournament
At Corpus Christi Miller
Third place
Holmes 52, Brackenridge (6-6) 50
Consolation third place
La Joya 62, Memorial (6-7) 55
Corpus Christi London Tournament
Fox Tech (3-5 ???) 44, George West 41
Hondo Tournament
Burbank (11-2) 49, Cole 31
Marble Falls Tournament
Edison (5-9) 54, Austin Hyde Park Baptist 53 (OT)
Leander Rouse 45, Edison (5-9) 39
Pearsall Tournament
Southside (3-7 ???) 74, Pearsall 61
Championship
Laredo Cigarroa 64, Holy Cross (6-9 ???) 42
Seguin Tournament
East Central (3-3 ???) 78, Roosevelt 65
East Central (3-3 ???) 73, New Braunfels Canyon 65
Marshall 58, Jefferson (6-6 ???) 47
Marshall 69, Lanier (5-8) 61
Jefferson (6-6 ???) 68, Kennedy (5-5???) 44
Lanier (5-8) 51, Kennedy (5-5???) 44
South San Tournament
Championship bracket
Semifinals
Clemens 93, New Braunfels 63
Johnson 95, Highlands (4-8) 62
Third place
New Braunfels 72, Highlands (4-8) 52
Championship
Clemens 91, Johnson 77
Fifth-place bracket
South San (7-1) 64, Warren 37
Fifth place
South San (7-1) 44, TMI 41
Consolation bracket
McCollum (6-5) 64, Jourdanton 27
Southwest (5-3) 50, Weslaco 45
Consolation championship
Antonian 63, Harlandale (8-5) 43
NOTE: teams we cover are in boldface
Non-district
Southwest (8-2) 56, Marshall (7-6) 37
District 27-5A
Boerne Champion (8-4, 1-0) 87, Memorial (0-9, 0-1) 27
Alamo Heights (7-2, 1-0) 57, Kennedy (5-6 ???, 0-1) 38
Kerrville Tivy (7-4, 1-0) 50, Floresville (5-5, 0-1) 39
Seguin (6-6, 1-0) 53, Lockhart (1-6 ???, 0-1) 31
District 28-5A
Harlandale (4-9, 1-0) 40, Burbank (5-7, 0-1) 36
Highlands (9-6, 1-0) 55, Jefferson (1-10, 0-1) 20
Edison (5-8, 1-0) 38, McCollum (1-10, 0-1) 21
Sam Houston (3-5, 1-0) 45, Lanier (6-6, 0-1) 39
TAPPS 4-4A
Holy Cross (5-6 ???, 1-0) 52, Cornerstone Christian (1-2 ???, 0-1) 46
Victoria St. Joseph (7-3 ???, 1-0) 69, San Antonio Christian (8-4, 0-1) 37
Non-district
Young Women’s Leadership Academy (7-4) 49, KIPP Academy (0-2 ???) 19
Southside (7-5 ???) at Lytle (3-5 ???) (score unavailable)
Providence (1-10 ???) 39, Fox Tech (0-11) 22
New Braunfels (4-8) 56, South San (5-6) 44
San Marcos (10-4) 52, East Central (5-3 ???) 38
Taft (9-3) 54, Brackenridge (4-9 ???) 40
Wednesday’s games
No games scheduled
Non-district
Edgewood ISD Tournament
OTHER AREA TEAMS – Fox Tech (0-11), Jefferson (1-10), Kennedy (5-6), Memorial (0-9), Sam Houston (3-5), Young Women’s Leadership Academy (7-4). Finals – Saturday.
Lee 76, Kennedy JV 15
Fort Worth ISD Tournament
Alvarado 48, Edison (5-10) 32
Fort Worth Pascal 45, Edison (5-10) 38
Hays Tournament
Highlands (10-7) 68, Austin St. Dominic Savio 40
Cedar Park Vista Ridge 65, Highlands (10-7) 57
Hondo Tournament
AREA TEAMS – Lanier (6-6). Finals – Saturday. (scores unavailable)
Laredo United ISD Tournament
At Laredo Johnson
South San (6-6) 52, McAllen 43
New Braunfels Canyon Tournament
Austin Vandegrift 72, Brackenridge (4-11 ???) 55
Wolfforth Frenship 86, Brackenridge (4-11 ???) 45
NISD/NEISD Tournament
Johnson 62, East Central (5-4 ???) 33
Madison 53, Southwest (8-3) 47
Pearsall Tournament
Holy Cross (7-6 ???) 45, Dilley 15
Holy Cross (7-6 ???) 53, Pearsall 42 (OT)
Seguin Tournament
OTHER AREA TEAMS – Harlandale (4-9), Providence (1-10 ???). Finals – Saturday, 5:30 p.m.
La Vernia 52, Burbank (5-9) 41
Boerne 66, Burbank (5-9) 29
Non-district
Edgewood ISD Tournament
AREA TEAMS – Fox Tech (0-11), Jefferson (1-10), Kennedy (5-6), Memorial (0-9), Sam Houston (3-5), Young Women’s Leadership Academy (7-4). Finals – Saturday.
Fox Tech (1-12) 32, Kennedy JV 17
Sam Houston (4-5 ???) 65, Memorial (1-10) 22
Jefferson (2-10) 74, Fox Tech (1-12) 21
St. Anthony 69, Young Women’s Leadership Academy (8-5) 25
Young Women’s Leadership Academy (8-5) 49, Holmes 40
Warren 49, Kennedy (5-9) 38
Memorial (1-10) 43, TMI 38
Warren 68, Kennedy JV 12
TMI 36, Kennedy (5-9) 23
Lee 47, Kennedy (5-9) 38
Fort Worth ISD Tournament
Edison (6-8) 49, Fort Worth Diamond Hill-Jarvis 3
Hays Tournament
Hays 64, Highlands (11-8) 58
Highlands (11-8) 50, Smithson Valley 32
Hondo Tournament
Lanier (7-7) 61, Uvalde 15
Somerset 69, Lanier (7-7) 43.
Laredo United ISD Tournament
At Laredo Johnson
Laredo Nixon 31, South San (8-7) 23
South San (8-7) 50, Laredo Johnson 33
South San (8-7) 54, Roma 38
New Braunfels Canyon Tournament
Roosevelt 67, Brackenridge (5-10 ???) 45
Brackenridge (5-10 ???) 53, Canyon Lake 33
NISD/NEISD Tournament
Antonian 37, East Central (5-5 ???) 33
Southwest (9-4) 46, Del Rio 30
Marshall 53, East Central (5-5 ???) 45
MacArthur 53, Southwest (9-4) 42
Pearsall Tournament
AREA TEAMS – Holy Cross (7-6 ???) did not play.
Seguin Tournament
OTHER AREA TEAM – Burbank (5-9). Finals – Saturday, 5:30 p.m.
Harlandale (6-9) 42, Marble Falls 40
Marble Falls 73, Providence (1-12 ???) 14
Harlandale (6-9) 47, Providence (1-12 ???) 28
Non-district
Edgewood ISD Tournament
OTHER AREA TEAMS – Sam Houston (4-5 ???), Young Women’s Leadership Academy (8-5). Finals – Saturday.
Holmes 63, Memorial (1-12) 27
Fox Tech (2-13) 43, Memorial (1-12) 39
Jefferson (3-11) 78, Fox Tech (2-13) 16
Holmes 60, Jefferson (3-11) 40
TMI 35, Kennedy (5-10) 16
Fort Worth ISD Tournament
Burkburnett 54, Edison (6-9) 21
Hays Tournament
Round Rock 61, Highlands (11-9) 53
Hondo Tournament
Cole 55, Lanier (7-8) 35
Laredo United ISD Tournament
At Laredo Johnson
AREA TEAMS – South San (8-7). Finals – Saturday. (scores unavailable)
New Braunfels Canyon Tournament
AREA TEAMS – Brackenridge (5-10 ???). Finals – Saturday.
NISD/NEISD Tournament
East Central (6-5 ???) 53, Floresville 47
Southwest (10-4) 62, Edinburg Vela 48
Pearsall Tournament
Championship
Holy Cross (8-6 ???) 36, Medina 29
Seguin Tournament
Boerne 76, Harlandale (7-10) 32
Bastrop Cedar Creek 50, Burbank (6-10) 34
Burbank (6-10) 56, Providence (1-14 ???) 18
Harlandale (7-10) 47, Seguin 42
Eagle Pass 48, Providence (1-14 ???) 31
SAN ANTONIO SOUTH SIDE SPORTS 