Basketball Recap: Jordan Johnson's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Hillcrest over West Mesquite

It's hard to turn regular season success into postseason wins, a fact Hillcrest can now relate to. They lost 70-49 to the West Mesquite Wranglers on Tuesday. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Texas basketball rankings (they are ranked 572nd, while the Wranglers are ranked 79th).

Several Panthers players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Jordan Johnson, who posted 13 points. That's the most points Johnson has posted since back in November of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Dj Corbin, who scored 13 points and seven rebounds.

Even though they lost, Hillcrest smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in eight consecutive contests.

Hillcrest's loss dropped their record down to 14-16. As for West Mesquite, the win (which was their 17th in a row) raised their record to 27-3.

Hillcrest does not have any more games scheduled as of now. As for West Mesquite, they are taking a road trip to face off against Belton at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are headed into the matchup with plenty of momentum (Belton has won four straight at home, while West Mesquite won nine straight on the road), something that'll have to change.