Thursday UIL State Semi-finals: 1A, 3A, 5A
GAME 6: 5A Fort Bend Elkins 101 Fort Worth Dunbar 73
After leading at halftime 36-34, the Fort Worth Dubar Flying Wildcats were outscored by Fort Bend Elkins Knights, 67-37 in the second half for a 101-73 victory for the Knights.
Six Knights finished with 11 or more points. Kenneth Busby scored a team-high 21 points (7-for-10, 2-for-5 on 3's), Eddie Everline had 18 (7-for-9) Ansu Sesay added 13 (4-for-6, 5-for-6 from free-throws), Chad Bowie also had 13, and Tyrik Armstrong chipped in 11. Junior, Jacob Chandler hit 12 (4-for-4, 2-for-2 3-pointers, 2-for-2 free-throws).
Leading all scorers was the Flying Wildcats Quinton Brigham as he scored 27 points, and pulled down 12 boards. Fellow senior Logan Ray had 17 points. Brigham and Ray were the only Dunbar players to hit double-figures.
GAME 5: 5A Lancaster 79 Edinburg Vela 58
The Lancaster Tigers spoiled any hope that their undersized opponent might have had, as they outscored the Edinburg Vela Sabercats 50-19 in the paint.
The Sabercats did hold an early 9-8 lead after starting the game with three 3-pointers (Hector Ruiz-2, Michael Garcia) with 4:54 on the clock in the first quarter. The Tigers then took control of the middle of the paint and the game as they made a 23-8 run to give them a 14 point lead, 31-17 midway through the second period. Vela did not have an answer for Lancaster's speed, height or athleticism.
The Tigers stretched their lead to 20 in the third twice (59-39, and 61-41), and then to their highest point margin 31, 79-48 with less than three minutes in the game.
Nate Morris was one of three Tigers to hit double-digit points as the Mississippi signee finished with 17 points. Deon Barrett who is headed to UTEP chipped in with 16 points and junior, T.J. Starks tallied 12.
Vela's junior point guard Ryan Garza had a game-high 20 points on 6-for-11 shooting including 3-for-6 from the 3-point arc. Senior guard Hector Ruiz added 13 points for the Sabercats.
GAME 4: 3A - Brownfield 70 Aransas Pass 54
The Brownfield Cubs beat the Aransas Pass Panthers in the second 3A game, 70-54. The Panthers, a three-point shooting team managed only two made threes the entire game and missed 24 (8.3%). The Cubs weren't much better hitting 22.7% (5-22) but they did score 36 points in the paint and 26 points off turnovers.
The Panthers were able to get within two points of the lead in the third (33-31), after trailing at the half 33-29. -But the Cubs grew their lead to 14, 50-36 by the end of the third.
In the closing minutes of the fourth, Brownfield led by 20 points, 68-48, behind their athletic guards.
Brownfield was led by Jaelyn Nolan and his 22 points (10-12 from the field) while Jezreel Griffin had 16 points and eight rebounds. Coby Serbantez with a double-double, 10 points, 11 boards, and Gage Siller added 11 points.
Colin Hale led all scorers with 30 points (11-26 from the field).
GAME 3: 3A - East Chambers 66 Van Alstyne 61
East Chambers out-rebounded Van Alstyne 42-25 on their way to a 66-61 victory. The Buccaneers from East Chambers went on a 14-2 run after being down 18-12 to the Panthers and took a 26-18 lead with 4:37 in the second quarter. The lead grew from there as the Bucs took a 38-29 halftime advantage.
In the second half, the Bucs led the entire way but did allow for the Panthers to get within one-point, 45-44 with under a minute to go in the third.
In the fourth, the lead for East Chambers grew to as many as seven and they finished off Van Alstyne 66-61.
East Chambers big man, Dylan Silcox finished with 22 points, six rebounds, and one block. Darius Guillory went for 15 points, and Antwann Anderson totaled 11.
Isaiah Boling went 9-for-12 from the field for Van Alstyne and finished with 20 points while Michael Hensley added 16 points, five rebounds and block.
GAME 2: 1A - Grady 64 Coolidge 58
The Grady Wildcats are headed to the 1A Finals for the second year in a row after a six-point victory over the Coolidge Yellow Jackets, 64-58. The Wildcats' semi-final win was sparked by an 18-2 run which started at the 2:27 mark of the second quarter down nine (27-18) and ended with the lead with 5:22 left in the third, (36-29).
Coolidge did take a three-point advantage, 47-44 in the fourth when Delvin Smith connected on two free-throws. Grady fought back and finished the game with a 20-11 run.
Four Wildcats finished the game in double-figures and were led by senior guard, Kyle Garza's 16 points, hitting 50% of his shots (7-14). Senior Avery Cole and junior Jaylen Short each had 14 points, with Short grabbing 14 boards. Braeden Jones chipped in 11 points and led Grady with four assists.
Leading all scorers was Coolidge's senior guard Smith. Smith had 18 points and went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. He tallied eight rebounds. Senior Wanya Jones had 15 points on 5-for-16 shooting, and senior point guard Ro'Derick Calhoun dropped 13 of his own to go along with six assists.
GAME 1: 1A - Avinger 46 Happy 37
The Avinger Indians defeated the Happy Cowboys 46-37, as three Indians finished in double figures. Sophomore Demionte Mitchell finished with a game-high 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting, and totaled 14 points. Senior Desmond Chism added 14 points and six rebounds, while fellow sophomore Grayson Early chipped in with 11 points and five boards.
The Cowboys received 13 and eight from 6-foot-2 senior big man Sterling White.