Two new traditions surfaced this year by the UIL in both boys’ and girls’ high school basketball. The first being the move of the State Championship from Austin to San Antonio and the second being the restructuring of the classification alignments: adding a Class 6A and combining Class 1A Division 1 and Class 1A Division 2 into one Class 1A Championship game. The Semifinal and Final results for the 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A and 6A State games can be found below.
Leading Scorer: Lipan’s Lanie Roberts – 5’10” Junior Guard – 25 points, 11 rebounds
Lipan is coming into the State playoffs 32-3 for the year, while Garden City is 30-4. Lipan controlled the offensive boards the entire game, shooting 52% from the field, 44% from the three-point field and 75% from the free throw line. Lipan slowed the tempo in the fourth quarter with a big lead, and hit a total of five three-pointers throughout the game.
Nazareth is making their 24th appearance at the UIL State Championship Tournament, while this is D’Hanis’ first appearance at State since 1979. Nazareth’s record is 32-2 for the year and D’Hanis’ record is 27-6. Nazareth was extremely patient in their half-court game, making good passes around the perimeter and hitting multiple three-pointers and shots around the basket. Nazareth cleared their bench midway through the third quarter, displaying a tremendous amount of sportsmanship. Lipan will play Nazareth for the 1A State Championship on Saturday, March 7 at 8:30 AM.
Shallowater holds a 31-1 record for the year and Jarrell’s record is 34-3. Kelsee Smith started off the game by scoring the first 8 points for Shallowater. Shallowater had seven steals in the first quarter, which helped extend their lead to 22-9 at the end of the quarter. It was a tightly called game, with both teams shooting 1-1 in the bonus two minutes into the second quarter. At halftime, Shallowater led 38-23, recording ten steals and outrebounding Jarrell 25-17. Jarrell had two players that led the team in scoring: Breanna Wright with 31 points and Julie Tucker with 14 points and 15 rebounds. In the fourth quarter, Jarrell cut the lead to eight points, but this success was shortly lived when they began missing easy shots and Shallowater made all their 1-1 free throw attempts. Shallowater had very balanced scoring among their players, demonstrating their team-oriented approach to the game; their high scorer was 5’11” senior Kelsee Smith with 15 points.
Sunnyvale is making their first appearance at the State tournament ever, while this is Rockdale's first appearance in 43 years. Sunnyvale’s record is 35-2 for the year and Rockdale's record is 30-3. Sunnyvale led the whole game, starting with a 12-2 lead and extending it to 18-7 by the end of the first quarter. In the first half, Sunnyvale shot 54% from the field, 75% from the three-point line and 50% from the free throw line, leading 34-13 at halftime. The second half was very similar to the first, with Sunnyvale taking complete control of the game. At the start of the third quarter, Sunnyvale came out in a full-court press, which put the game out of reach for Rockdale. Sunnyvale’s leading scorer was Karah Sicurella with 23 points, but not far behind was Sunnyvale's Grace Goodhart with 21 point and eight assists. Shallowater will play Sunnyvale for the 3A State Championship on Saturday, March 7 at 10:00 AM.
Canyon enters the tournament with a 32-3 record for the season, while Bryan Rudder holds a 36-4 record. The matchup featured an up-tempo team (Bryan Rudder) against a very disciplined and fundamental, half-court offensive team (Canyon). Brianna Suber scored Bryan Rudder’s first 11 points and ended the first half with four rebounds. Canyon went into halftime with a lead of 29-24. Canyon came out strong in the second half and dominated on both the offensive and defensive ends, while Bryan Rudder began to run out of momentum. With 3:50 left in the game, Canyon led 45-33, their biggest lead of the game. Nonetheless, Bryan Rudder played a great game and the final stats for both teams were about even. Bryan Rudder’s Brianna Suber ended the game with 22 points and eight rebounds. The biggest difference came from Canyon passing the ball extremely well and shooting 80% from the free throw line. The win over Bryan Rudder marked Canyon’s 40th State Tournament win, which is a UIL state record; they have won more State games—not championships—than any team in history.
Final Score: Cedar Park Vista Ridge 64 – Dallas Adams 65
Leading Scorer: Cedar Park Vista Ridge’s Mikala Christian – 5’9” Junior Guard – 23 points
Cedar Park Vista Ridge is 36-2 for the season and Dallas Adams is 29-4. Dallas Adams led 20-11 in a strong first quarter, getting the ball inside and hitting several three-pointers. In the second quarter, Cedar Park Vista Ridge’s Mikala Christian had 11 points. At halftime Dallas Adams led 35-25, the difference being Dallas Adams’ 48% shooting from the field and Cedar Park Vista Ridge’s 31% from the field. However, Cedar Park Vista Ridge came out on a 10-2 run to start the second half and got the score close, but then Bryan Adams went on a 11-3 run to end the third quarter, pushing their lead to 51-40. The fourth quarter went back and forth, and 5’5” senior Japreece Dean made a lay-up with 0:07 left to put Vista Ridge up by one point. Dallas Adams did not waiver and got the ball in quickly—much like a college team—transitioning down the floor and passing it to Fadrianna Dickson down low for a spin move to the basketball and the win. Mikala Christian ended the game as high point with 23, keeping Cedar Park Vista Ridge in the game in the third quarter and shooting six out of eight from the three-point line. Four girls were pivotal for Dallas Adams in this game: Jerice Fears with 11 points and 14 rebounds, Fabrianna Dixon with 18 points and six rebounds, Alexxus Gilbert with 14 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds, and Dabrasia Baty with 13 points and six rebounds. Canyon will play Dallas Adams for the 5A State Championship on Saturday, March 7 at 3:00 PM.
Final Score: LaRue La Poynor 33 – Martin’s Mill 36
Leading Scorer: Martin Mill’s Cheyenne Brown – 6’1” Senior Post – 15 points
LaRue La Poynor enters the State Tournament with a 34-2 record and Martin’s Mill comes in with a 29-7 record. The game was a rematch between these two teams, facing each other early in the year and resulting in a win for LaRue La Poynor 51-49. Both teams had a slow start—missing easy baskets and turning the ball over—which put Martin’s Mill up 7-3 at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Martin’s Mill began to pick up the pace on offense, and took a 17-7 lead by halftime. For most of the second half, Martin’s Mill continued to control the game, leading in the double digits until the last five minutes. At the end of the fourth quarter, LaRue La Poynor’s Haley Terry made four three pointers to close the gap to two points with 0:03 left in the game. Martin’s Mill then threw the ball in and LaRue La Poynor fouled immediately; Martin’s Mill hit both of their free throws and ended the game 36-33. Martin’s Mill’s victory can be attributed to outrebounding their opponent on the offensive and defensive boards.
Leading Scorer: Gruver’s Brennyn Seagler – 5’11” Junior Center – 24 points, 11 rebounds
Weimar is 34-4 for the year, while Gruver holds a record of 30-5. The first quarter was primarily dominated by Weimar. Weimar’s 5’10” junior Jazmine Kirby stood out with eight points and five rebounds and 6’1” sophomore Summer Almeida had six points and three rebounds at the quarter’s conclusion. The intimidating combination of Weimar’s speed and height underneath the basket led them to a 31-15 halftime lead. At the start of the second half, Weimar outrebounded Gruver 12-3. Nonetheless, Gruver came out looking like a different team with more energy, enthusiasm and confidence against Weimer’s size and athleticism. 5’11” junior Brennyn Seagler lead the comeback for Gruver in the third quarter with footwork and determination down low against Weimar’s bigs. At the end of the quarter, Weimar led 37-32. After the first half rebound advantage Weimar had, Gruver evened out the count to 30-26 in the fourth quarter. Both teams had the opportunity to win in regulation play, but the game continued into overtime. Gruver came out strong in overtime; with 0:07 left in the game, Weimar’s Jazmine Kirby hit a three pointer to put them within one point. Gruver then got called for a five-second violation on the throw in. Weimar got the ball in and quickly turned it over, giving the ball back to Gruver with 0:02 left. Weimar fouled Gruver immediately and Gruver continued on to hit both free throws for the win. Weimer’s Jazmine Kirby ended the game with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Along with leading scorer Brennyn Seagler, Gruver’s 5’8” senior guard Reagan Haynes was crucial to Gruver’s success with 14 points and two three-pointers. Martin’s Mill will play Gruver for the 2A State Championship on Saturday, March 7 at 1:30 PM.
Waco La Vega has a 34-2 record for the year and enters the tournament as the defending 4A State Champions; Argyle has a 30-5 record. The showdown between two exceptional powerhouse teams was led by Argyle’s Vivian Gray—who has been on the PBR radar since her freshman year—displaying her exceptional skills by scoring from the elbow or utilizing her strength and footwork from the block. She also helped handle the ball when Waco La Vega entered a full-court press and set up Argyle’s half court offense. Waco La Vega trailed most of the game and was down 10 points entering the fourth quarter. Baylor commit Calveion Landrim did all she could to put Waco La Vega within one point on a made three-pointer with 0:12 remaining. Waco La Vega then fouled Gray, who made one of her two free throws with 0:09 remaining. Landrim sped down the floor and turned over the ball, and when Argyle got fouled on the throw in, they made both free throws to clinch the victory for the Lady Eagles. Argyle’s Jesse Sheridan, a 5’7” senior guard, finished the game with 10 points and three rebounds. Argyle shot 57% from the field for the game. Landrim finished high point for Waco La Vega with 23 points, and Erin De Grate, a 6’5” senior for Waco La Vega finished with eight points and 12 rebounds; she has signed a letter of intent with the University of Louisville.
Leading Scorer: Liberty Hill’s Ashlee Walker – 5’8” Senior Guard – 20 points
Liberty Hill enters the game with an impressive 37-2 record and their tenth State appearance, and Abilene Wylie with a 31-5 record and their fourth. Abilene Wylie came out strong with a 11-2 start the first quarter. In the first half, neither team was able to hit a three-point shot until London Weilert—a 5’6” senior guard for Abilene Wylie—hit a three pointer with 3:00 remaining. The halftime score was Abilene Wylie 22 Liberty Hill 10. The biggest factor affecting the score was the inability of Liberty Hill to connect their shots; they had to shoot mainly from the outside because of the inside presence of Abilene’s Wylie’s 6’4” junior center, Brittany Brewer. The rebounding edge went to Abilene Wylie 17-11 at halftime. In the second half, the pace began to pick up with Liberty Hill entering a full-court press, helping them to gain momentum. Even though Abilene Wylie had trouble breaking the press, they had an extremely effective offense once they got it past the half-court line. Liberty Hill was also able to get 13 steals off of Wylie’s turnovers in the second half. Regardless, they were not able to cut into their deficit with the scoring tied 15-15 after the third quarter, giving Abilene Wylie the lead 37-25 at the start of the fourth. Liberty Hill closed the gap to five points with the score being 42-37 Abilene Wylie with 3:00 to go. Abilene Wylie finished the game on an 11-6 run, clinching the win 53-42. The rebounding edge at the end of the game was 36-24 Abilene Wylie, with Abilene Wylie’s Brittany Brewer recording 18 points and eight rebounds. Argyle will play Abilene Wylie for the 4A State Championship on Saturday, March 7 at 7:00 PM.
Flower Mound makes their first appearance in the State tournament with a 28-7 record. Dallas Skyline is also making their first appearance with a 30-6 record. Dallas Skyline took the lead quickly, opening the game with two three-pointers, and preventing Flower Mound from scoring their first field goal until the 4:46 mark. Dallas Skyline led the first quarter 14-8. In the second quarter, Dallas Skyline hit over 50% from the field, headed by 5’5” senior guard Christalah Lyons, scoring four three-pointers and 19 points in the first half; the halftime score was Dallas Skyline 35 Flower Mound 15. Dallas Skyline was able to use their speed to get back on defense and prevent Flower Mound from taking effective shots, holding Lauren Cox–a 6’4” junior center for Flower Mound—to six points and four rebounds. Dallas Skyline seemed relaxed and confident throughout the first half, without fear or intimidation against the #1 player in the country Lauren Cox, and were successful due to their man-to-man press and up-tempo style of play. Dallas Skyline started off the second half hitting their sixth three-pointer of the game. Flower Mound began to score down low, with Lauren Cox putting up eight points in four minutes; nonetheless, Flower Mound was not able to gain ground. By the end of the third quarter, Dallas Skyline led 49-25, 24 of their points from three-point shots. Dallas Skyline began the fourth quarter making their ninth three-pointer. Even though the game was out of reach at this point, Flower Mound did a good job getting the ball inside to Lauren Cox in the fourth, allowing her to score essentially at will; she ended the game with 22 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks.
Final Score: Houston Cypress Woods 79 – San Antonio Wagner 60
Leading Scorer: San Antonio Wagner’s Amber Ramirez – 5’8” Junior Guard – 30 points
The State tournament this year marks the fourth appearance for San Antonio Wagner, coming in with a 25-10 record; Cypress Woods is making their first appearance as the number one team in the State with a record of 35-1. Cypress Woods has an excellent all-around team this year, a combination of quick and persistent shooting guards and two very effective rebounding posts with a strong inside game. San Antonio Wagner’s Amber Ramirez opened the first 4:00 of the game four for four from the three-point line, dropping shots several feet behind the line. Cypress Woods finished the first quarter with a 25-17 lead. Amber Ramirez began the second quarter with her fifth three-pointer of the game. By halftime, she was seven for eight from the three-point line, scoring 25 points in one half. The guard play of sophomore 5’7” Kiana Williams, who had nine points by halftime, also helped San Antonio Wagner come out with a strong start. Cypress Woods, on the other hand, had four players with nine points or less, demonstrating this well-balanced team’s style of play; the score at halftime was tied 38-38. Cypress Woods dominated the second half, playing as a team and getting the ball inside to 6’9” junior center Nancy Mulkey and 6’2” freshman forward Cate Reese. Furthermore, they made a defensive adjustment covering Amber Ramirez more closely and controlling the boards to stop second chance shots. Cypress Woods held San Antonio Wagner to six points in the third period, with Cypress Woods scoring 18 points and leading 56-44. Cypress Woods ended the game 52% from the field and 71% from the three-point line. Nancy Mulkey led the team in scoring with 21 points and 14 rebounds, along with Erica Ogwumike’s 19 points and nine rebounds, Jasmine Williams’ 17 points and 7 rebounds and Cate Reese’s 15 points and 11 rebounds. San Antonio Wagner’s Amber Ramirez ended with 30 points and Kiana Williams with 14 points. The most reveal stat of the game was Cypress Woods’ 48 rebounds to San Antonio Wagner’s 28. Dallas Skyline will play Houston Cypress Woods for the 6A State Championship on Saturday, March 7 at 8:30 PM.
Leading Scorer: Lipan’s Lanie Roberts – 5’10” Junior Guard – 25 points
Saturday, March 7 marked the 65th Annual State Championship in Texas. The first game between the Lipan Lady Indians and the Nazareth Swiftettes was for the 1A State Championship title. The contest began with a quick start from both teams; the hot hand came from Nazareth’s 5’10” sophomore guard Allie Schulte. At the end of the first quarter, Nazareth led 21-11. Lipan’s high pressure and tight man-to-man defense helped them make a comeback in the second quarter, cutting a 10-point deficit to one point with 2:00 left. Nonetheless, Nazareth bounced back scoring the last six points and leading at halftime 29-22. Officials called a tight game, with Nazareth shooting 1-1 five minutes into the second half. Nazareth made all of their free throw attempts, but their passing game and ability to find the open man was pivotal in extending their lead to 43-29 by the end of the third. Lanie Roberts tried to keep Lipan in the game, leading the team in scoring, but Nazareth was too far ahead. The combination of Allie Schulte’s 17 points and Deborah VanDijk’s 12 rebounds led Nazareth to a 56-40 win, marking this West Texas town’s 20th UIL State Championship in their 24 State appearances.
Leading Scorer: Shallowater's Kelsee Smith – 5’11” Senior Forward – 14 points, 6 rebounds
The second game of the morning was between the Shallowater Fillies and the Sunnyvale Raiders, ranked #1 in the State in the 3A Division. Their only loss this year was to Richardson High School, one of the top 5A teams in the DFW Metroplex; they also competed well against several 6A teams during the season. Sunnyvale was hot to start the game, making six of their seven first shots from good half-court execution on offense and finishing in transition; Sunnyvale led the first quarter 16-13. The second quarter was low scoring with a combination of seven points from both sides. Senior Kelsee Smith led Shallowater in scoring and leadership the first half. Sunnyvale controlled the boards in the second half, shooting 49% from the field goal range by the conclusion of the game. Shallowater struggled with turnovers after getting behind in double figures, and began to force up shots. Sunnyvale came away with the win and their first 3A State Championship title, led by four players in double figures, including MVP Senior Grace Goodhart who finished the game with 13 points.
Leading Scorer: Martin Mill’s Cheyenne Brown – 6’1” Senior Post – 29 points
The 2A State Championship featured a matchup between Gruver and Martin’s Mill. Gruver is looking to win their first State Championship after overcoming a 14-point halftime deficit in the semifinals, and Martin’s Mill is aiming to take home their fourth State Championship in 10 years. Hadlee Spivey, a 5’11” junior guard, started off the game scoring the first seven points for Gruver and giving them the lead entering the second quarter. Martin Mill’s strategy entering the game was to utilize their key player, Cheyenne Brown, with her height advantage and rebounding skills; she has signed a letter of intent with Northwestern State. The score in the second half went back and forth, and Hadlee Spivey picked up her third foul 2:00 in. Ultimately, Martin Mill’s 13 point rebound advantage and the post play of Cheyenne Brown was too much for Grover to overcome. She ended the game making 15 of her 16 free throws and seven field goals from the elbow and the block. The final score revealed a State title win for Martin’s Mill, but give Gruver credit for their all-out hustle and determination from the game’s beginning to end.
The battle for the 5A State Championship title featured two teams with contrasting styles of play. Canyon is a poised and confident team, willing to use as much time as necessary to find their high percentage shot. Dallas Adams, on the other hand, is an experienced, senior-laden team that plays a fast paced game, looking to score off their full-court press forced turnovers, transition, getting the ball inside or hitting the three-point shot. Dallas Adams was led by 5’10” star forward Jerice Fears, who scored the winning basked in the semifinal game against top ranked Cedar Park Vista Ridge, and Alexxus Gilbert, a 5’8” guard who has signed a letter of intent with Cal-Bakersfield. She has been the leader and engineer of this team the whole season, averaging close to 17 points and eight assists per game. Canyon seemed to surprise Dallas Adams with their composure and ease in breaking the press, having less than 10 turnovers the entire game. Canyon’s Caitlyn Cunyus, a 5’6” junior guard, along with tournament MVP Angel Hayden utilized their advanced ball handing and court vision to get the ball into their half-court offense. The inability of Dallas Adams to get the ball inside to Jerice Fears or hit the perimeter shot—making only 25% from the field for the game—led to their downfall. Nonetheless, this team showed grit and hustle the entire game and should be proud of the accomplishments they made this season. The game marks Canyon’s 41st win in the state playoffs. With over 1,200 wins in his coaching career, Joe Lombard will have to find a spot in Canyon’s cabinet for another State Championship trophy.
The 4A State Championship game was between two strong defensive teams, the Argyle Lady Eagles and the Abilene Wylie Bulldogs. Both teams played with similar offensive schemes: conservative and patient perimeter passing, looking for the best possible shot. The halftime score had Argyle up 20-11; they led by as much as 10 at one point, headed by Vivian Gray with 12 of the team’s 20 points and six rebounds. In the second half, Abilene Wylie came out looking more inspired with their hustle and determination; they started in a half-court press and were able to cut the lead to six points. The difference in the lopsided score at the game’s conclusion was because Abilene Wylie could not get their shots to fall. Argyle was named this year’s 4A State Champion and Vivian Gray awarded with the MVP. Both teams return valuable players next season, and it would not be surprising to see these two talented teams back at the State tournament in 2016.
The final game of the weekend was between two 6A heavyweights: Dallas Skyline and Houston Cypress Woods. Cypress Woods got off to a quick 19-8 first quarter lead, despite 6’9” powerhouse 2016 Oklahoma commit, Nancy Mulkey, picking up two fouls four minutes into the game. Cypress Woods was led in the first quarter by 2015 Pepperdine commit Erica Ogwumike’s 13 points. Ogwumike is the fourth of four sisters who either currently play in the WNBA or college basketball. Her older sister, Olivia, is also a freshman at Pepperdine University. Without Nancy Mulkey’s huge presence in the middle of the floor, Dallas Skyline answered in the second quarter on a 20-3 run. Led by 2015 Louisiana-Lafayette commit Jordan Alexander’s three three-pointers, Dallas Skyline entered halftime up 28-24. Nancy Mulkey returned to the game at the start of the third, and Cypress Woods went on a 12-0 run to take a 43-33 lead with 2:42 left in the quarter. Dallas Skyline’s 2015 SMU commit, Dai’Ja Thomas, was outstanding in continuing to attack Mulkey throughout the game, causing her to foul out with 3:00 left in the game and Cypress Woods up by six. Dai’Ja Thomas finished the game with 24 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. Erica Ogwumike, the game’s MVP, sealed the 57-49 State Championship win for Cypress Woods with two huge steals and layups in the final minutes.