Little Elm takes rivalry win on back of Hampton’s 34 points

Little Elm survived an 8-point halftime deficit to come back and beat The Colony in a much anticipated rivalry game, claiming at least the 2nd seed in 8-5A in the process. We share our 3 takeaways from the matchup.

After dropping a 50 piece on Tuesday against Northwest, RJ Hampton had Little Elm’s gym as the place to be on Friday night. The home stands were pretty much full by the 3rd quarter of the JV game that preceded this one, both baselines were full of cameras, and the student sections brought the noise to give this game an electric atmosphere.

While Hampton didn’t replicate his half century, more importantly he got the win after dropping 34. Since coming back from injury Hampton has been dialed in from deep and hit 7 threes here, most of which were contested off the dribble. His usage rate is astronomical and The Colony made him work full court just to catch the ball, but Hampton overcame the challenge and drew a foul on the final possession of the game to come away with the win.

Looking ahead, it’s tough to see a 5A team in the state that will like their chances against Hampton when he plays in this inspired manner. They will still have to contend with probable 8-5A champs Northwest and 2017 state champs Timberview, but seeing Little Elm in San Antonio wouldn’t be a shock.

The Colony is the best 3rd place team in 5A, that much is clear. They will count themselves unlucky to be grouped in with two-time state tournament participants Northwest and a top-5 national talent in Hampton, but in all honesty were a buzzer beater and 50/50 foul call away from 2nd place. Bryce Okpoh is the big name for TC and had a productive game around the rim; but this team relies on strength in depth with Luis Rodriguez’s shooting ability and Garren Davis and Tay Mosher providing scoring from the wing.

Once the brackets come out for 5A it’ll be easier to talk about potential matchups, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if The Colony knocks off a district champ in the playoffs. And should things stay the way they stand currently, they would be on the same side of the bracket as Little Elm. And if district games between these two were huge deals, I can’t wait to see the playoff version should it transpire.

He didn’t figure into the score sheet as much as he would like, but it is clear the Brandon Crossley sets the tone for Little Elm on the defensive end. He navigated early foul trouble and was assured for the Loboes after they fell behind in the first half, calming things down in the halfcourt and executing his offensive role.

While Hampton came up with the heroics to get Little Elm over the line, it was actually Crossley that came up with the steal to give them the ball back after The Colony called timeout with under a minute to play. He may not light up the scoreboard, but Crossley makes winning plays and will surely be a huge factor into any playoff success Little Elm enjoys.