UIL State Tournament: Day Two Recaps

Welcome back to TexasHoops.com's coverage of the UIL State Tournament in San Antonio. Analyst Lyndon Cook has recaps of the last day of semifinal action to see who will playing for a championship on Saturday.

Stinnett West Texas 70 Shelbyville 60

Stinnett West Texas made their state tournament debut in impressive fashion with a 10-point win over Region 3 champs Shelbyville. West Texas simply had too much size and skill inside for the Dragons to keep up. Sophomore Jalin Conyers raced out of the gates to drop an impressive 28 points, including 4 first half dunks. Conyers finished 13-15 from the floor and converted some tough finishes inside, with 6-foot-8 Dalin Williams adding 13.

Shelbyville trailed for the better part of 4 quarters but fought back to cut the West Texas lead to 7 midway through the 4th. West Texas rebuilt their lead to double digits, but both Conyers and Wiliams fouled out with 2 minutes to play.

Shelbyville was unable to capitalize on their absence, with their own star sophomore Jakevian Buckley fouling out as well. Buckley would finish with 17 for the Dragons while wing Jordan Boykins poured in 25 in Shelbyville's first appearance at state since 1984.

Thorndale 39 Muenster 35

Thorndale ended Muenster's quest for a second straight basketball (and fourth straight boys' athletics championship) in the state semifinal round, edging the Hornets 39-35. Ty Prince turned in an 18-point performance to get the Bulldogs to the state championship game after falling in the semis the past two years.

This game was close from wire to wire, with Danny Luttmer getting the Hornets off to a hot start with back-to-back buckets to open the game. Thorndale would answer back through Sam Reaves and go into halftime up 3.

After a back and forth 3rd quarter, Muenster came back to tie the game at 33 and had a look to take their first lead since the opening stages. Instead, Mason Fisher hit his lone three pointer of the game to give Thorndale a lead they wouldn't give up. Ashton Albert would add a floater and a game-clinching free throw to send the Bulldogs to their first title game since they went back to back in 2007-08.

Muenster had a chance to tie the game after a Kody Walterscheid steal gave the Hornets new life, but their 3-point attempt hit side rim (the Hornets were 1-12 from 3 on the day) and nothing came of the possession. Luttmer led the Hornets with 12 points, and last year's 2A Championship MVP John Weger added 10.

Dallas Carter 80 Seminole 62

Dallas Carter had a historic shooting day to down Seminole in the first 4A semifinal, making 12 threes on 20 attempts. At one point in the second half the Cowboys were 7-11 from deep, with 3 of those coming from senior Dante Stearns.

Seminole was able to pound it inside and keep the score even for a quarter, but the second quarter saw Carter grow their lead to 8 going into the half. The Cowboys had 10 players score and depth proved a factor as they were able to rotate players and keep guys fresh while Seminole's big lineup struggled to keep up. In the second half Carter always seemed to have the answer for any run Seminole would try to go on, as the Indians never got it closer than 10 in the 4th.

Texas football signee Reese Moore was a load to handle inside and paced Seminole with 21 points. Promising sophomore prospect Jalen Brattain chipped in 17 and Clayton Medlin popped up with 9.

Carter was led by the play of Stearns and Zahad Munford, who combined to go for 35 in their semifinal win. Kyle Hill added 12 points on 4 makes from outside.

Silsbee 80 Somerset 61

Silsbee proved to be too fast and too skilled for Somerset in the second 4A semifinal, producing a 19-point win in their third consecutive trip to San Antonio. The Tigers lifted their first basketball championship last March and looked like favorites to claim a second on Saturday.

Jordyn Adams came out with a point to prove as his first quarter dunk ignited a 30-9 opening frame for Silsbee. Adams would go for 20 in the game while Braelon Bush continued to put up stellar numbers with 14. Kalon Barnes was very efficient on the day, going for 13 on 6-7 shooting.

Somerset had a hard time with Silsbee’s speed and full court press, and struggled to convert when they did break the press. Isaiah Rivera did most of Somerset’s damage, dropping 19 points as 6-foot-10 Jacob Harvey put up 10.

Katy Tompkins 80 South Garland 76 F/OT

One of the best state tournament games in recent memory ended with Katy Tompkins getting revenge on South Garland for a 26-point loss earlier in the season. Tompkins thought they had wrapped up the game in regulation after OU-bound Jamal Bieniemy hit a huge three to take the lead in the final minute and Chris Harris Jr. fouled out on an offensive foul for South Garland. Tyrese Maxey would knot things up and send it to OT with a pair of free throws after Tompkins went 1-2 at the line.

Maxey emphatically proved that he is one of the best players in the nation, as the junior guard was unconscious from the floor and exploded for 46 points to tie a 71-year old 6A scoring record. Maxey punished Tompkins on the drive with several and-ones, showed his range with 4 threes, and went 14-16 from the line.

His only two misses from the stripe proved crucial as he missed a pair with SG up 2 in regulation with under a minute to play. Harris Jr. struggled to find his form but still wound up with 16 points to help SG's cause.

After Maxey's outburst, the other player who really shone was CJ Washington. The unsigned senior guard was a nuisance for South Garland all game long as he got to the line 19 times and finished with a team high 26. Not far behind him was Bieniemy with 25, and Murray Grant also impressed with some spot minutes for defense and grabbed 6 boards.

Allen 70 Austin Westlake 55

Allen has now beaten the No.1 and No.2 teams in the state in back to back games after they knocked off favorites Westlake in a comprehensive 15-point victory. Allen went into the game with clear tactics to keep players fresh through rotation, only take good shots and run on Westlake in transition. The Eagles executed that gameplan to perfection, and will have a chance to match their football state title from earlier in the year on Saturday night.

Westlake struggled to cope with Allen on the break and never got going on offense in the way they have pretty much all season. None of the Chaps' vaunted prospects had more than 12 points, with Will Baker forced to the bench early with foul trouble. Keonte Kennedy, Luke Pluymen, and Brock Cunningham all scored 12 with Baker adding 10.

Allen was extremely efficient in their upset of Westlake, with the Eagles shooting 7-11 from three in the game and 13-14 from the floor in the second half. Jaylen Walker looked great as a slashing forward to lead all scorers with 16. Isaiah Stevens and Jaylon Scott had 14 a piece, while Jerritt Dixon came up with 12 points and 6 assists.