Burkburnett ends Estacado's run in Texas

Back-to-back wasn't meant to be for the nationally-ranked Estacado (Lubbock, Texas) Matadors.

The Lone Star State's defending Class 3A state champions were stunned Friday night by Burkburnett 71-62, ending a wildly-successful three-year run for head coach Tony Wagner's program in the regional semifinals.

The Matadors were bidding for their third-straight trip to the 3A finals. Behind seniors Kevin Wagner and Clarence Willard, Estacado – ranked No. 24 this week in MaxPreps.com's Xcellent 25 – has piled up a gaudy 99-9 mark since the beginning of the 2008-09 season.

Jerard Graham sparked the upset for Burkburnett with a game-high 26 points. Mario Garcia added 20.

The upset bug threatened to extend to the Upper Midwest, where No. 8 Benet Academy (Lisle, Ill.) and No. 20 Munster (Ind.) were both taken to overtime in state tournament action.



Benet Academy actually needed two extra sessions to dispatch Naperville North in an extremely low-scoring affair, 43-42.

The undefeated Redwings (29-0) beat Naperville North by 21 points in an earlier meeting and received nearly half of their points (19) from Northwestern-bound guard David Sobolewski.

In Indiana, Lake Central (St. John) took No. 20 Munster to overtime in another contest decided by a single point, 54-53.

Not every ranked team had to sweat it out, however. No. 1 St. Patrick (Elizabeth, N.J.), No. 2 St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.), No. 7 Lincoln (San Diego, Calif.), No. 15 Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.), No. 16 Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.) and No. 17 Simeon (Chicago, Ill.) all won by 20 points or more.

Dwyer was the lone team in that group to play its way into a state final. The Panthers will meet Lake Wales for Florida's Class 5A state title Saturday.

Xcellent 25 state tournament scoreboard



New Jersey Non-Public North B quarterfinal
No. 1 St. Patrick (Elizabeth) 84, Marist (Bayonne) 48
Chris Martin, St. Patrick: 20 points

New Jersey Non-Public North B quarterfinal
No. 2 St. Anthony (Jersey City) 68, Hudson Catholic (Jersey City) 35
Lucious Jones, St. Anthony: 18 points

Texas Class 5A regional semifinal
No. 4 Marcus (Flower Mound) 49, North Crowley (Fort Worth) 45
Marcus Smart, Marcus: 13 points

California San Diego Section Division II championship
No. 7 Lincoln (San Diego) 85, Hoover (San Diego) 55

Illinois Class 4A regional semifinal
No. 8 Benet Academy (Lisle) 43, Naperville North (Naperville) 42 (2OT)
David Sobolewski, Benet Academy: 19 points

Kansas Class 6A substate final
No. 11 Wichita Heights (Wichita) 76, Southeast (Wichita) 61
Perry Ellis, Wichita Heights: 19 points



Texas Class 5A regional semifinal
No. 12 Lakeview Centennial (Garland) 67, The Woodlands 64
Chris Jones, Lakeview Centennial: 21 points

Florida Class 5A semifinal
No. 15 Dwyer (Palm Beach Gardens) 83, Fort Walton Beach 58
Victor Adams, Dwyer: 17 points

Georgia Class AAAA quarterfinal
No. 16 Miller Grove (Lithonia) 79, Villa Rica 54
Tony Parker, Miller Grove: 21 points

Illinois Class 4A regional semifinal
No. 17 Simeon (Chicago) 74, Hinsdale South (Darien) 45
Jabari Parker, Simeon: 23 points

Indiana Class 4A sectional semifinal
No. 20 Munster 54, Lake Central (St. John) 53 (OT)

Texas Class 3A regional semifinal
Burkburnett 71, No. 24 Estacado (Lubbock)
Jerard Graham, Burkburnett: 26 points