By R.V. Baugus, www.texprepsbasketball.com
Special to MaxPreps.com
In one of the more anticipated cross-country games of the year, Texas Class 5A power Duncanville took charge in the second half and knocked off Lincoln High School of Brooklyn, N.Y., and senior sensation Lance Stephenson, 77-57. The game was played at Ellis Davis Field House in Dallas as part of the Old Spice High School Showcase.
Stephenson’s team fell behind 20-4 after one period but stormed back to outscore the hosts 32-15 in the second frame to take a one-point halftime lead.
But Duncanville tightened the defensive screws in the third quarter and coasted home. Stephenson, a strongly built 6-foot-5 guard/wing, put on a show with 32 points, but Duncanville had its own answers with Texas signee Shawn Williams leading the way with 20 points and Oklahoma State-bound Roger Franklin adding 17.
Other Texas teams also had success in their out-of-the-state tournament ventures over the weekend.
Denison, behind dual-sport star T.J. Taylor and his 30 points, topped Dallas Skyline, 73-57, to win the Durant (Okla.) Tournament. The Yellowjackets improved to 8-2 as Taylor took home tournament MVP honors.
Going west, the championship trophy of the Webb Toyota Tournament in Farmington (N.M.) went to 11-1 El Paso Montwood after a 55-45 dismantling of Gallup (N.M.) in the title contest.
Elsewhere, the Cy-Fair Independent School District Tournament had a distinct family flair as Chris Draudt’s Cypress Woods squad topped Cypress Falls, 61-43 in the championship. Falls is coach by Jim Draudt, Chris’ father. Dad admitted afterwards that enjoyed having an opportunity to coach in the title game against his son, although he expects more favorable results next time.
More Tournament Notes
* The 63rd Annual Brownsville ISD Tournament took place deep in the Rio Grande Valley, and it was Roy Swift’s McAllen Bulldogs taking home the hardware after storming past Brownsville Hanna, 70-47.
* At the Van Vleck Tournament, Dane Hooker dropped in 38 points, including 10 treys, to lead unbeaten Sweeny past Weimar, 104-64, for the championship. Sweeny’s five wins in the tournament were claimed by an average of 45 points.
* Class 3A power Burkburnett won its own Union Square Burkburnett Bulldog Classic over Class 4A juggernaut Whitehouse, 62-60. Jay Gould notched 19 points for the winners while North Texas-bound Jacob Holmen poured in 27 in a losing cause.
* Corey Bradley had 17 points and 13 rebounds to lead Dallas Pinkston to the championship of the Leroy Romines Holiday Hoopfest over Longview, 69-65.
* Finally, we’ll concede that it was probably one of the more unknown tournaments (unless you live in the area), but Balmorhea won the Fort Davis Mile High Tournament over Terlingua Big Bend, 58-55. Big Bend, you might remember, was featured last year in Tex Preps Basketball magazine as the team plays its games outside on a court in Big Bend country. Congratulations to Big Bend for an outstanding tournament!
* A couple of girls teams who are very well known hooked up in a dandy with San Antonio Wagner beating Cibolo Steele, 67-54. Both teams were at the UIL state tournament last year and with Wagner at 14-0 and Steele at 12-4 there is a good chance both could again be punching tickets to Austin in March.
Happy 800th
Teresa Casso is in her 31st season as coach at McAllen High School and celebrated her 800th win over Bastrop the previous weekend at the Border Bash. Casso ranks seventh in Texas in wins and 18th in the nation. She is the winningest Hispanic basketball coach in the country. McAllen is off to an 11-4 start this year.
Former Corpus Christi Carroll Standout Dies at 28
Chris Richardson, who starred at Corpus Christi Carroll from 1995-1998 and later became a member of the Harlem Globetrotters, died in his sleep on Dec. 10 while on tour with the team in Japan. The Globetrotters were on an overseas holiday tour of military bases that runs from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Richardson was 28.
Brett Meister, vice president of communications for the Globetrotters, said that a cause of death had not been determined, but believed it was natural causes.
Sympathies are extended to Richardson’s family.
Denison Basketball Coach Returns to Iraq
Brooke Brittain, a coach and teacher at Denison High School, leaves prior to Christmas for Iraq. This tour is not the first in Iraq for Brittain. She has been a member of the U.S. Army for more than seven years and served as a sergeant in the Military Police Corps in Iraq from March 2003 to March 2004.
She will be in Iraq for a year, but before she left gave an emotional talk to the team about the lessons of hard work, discipline and character.
At this special holiday time of the season, we salute Brooke Brittain and all who serve at home and abroad.
R.V. Baugus is the Publisher of Tex Preps Basketball magazine and texprepsbasketball.com.
