Alexis Jones dominates to lead Irving MacArthur to Texas basketball title

After witnessing the MacArthur (Irving) girls' 74-51 domination over Georgetown in the Class 5A state championship game, one can only imagine what the Cardinals might have accomplished last year had they not lost current Baylor University phenom Odyssey Sims to a knee injury just minutes into a regional final loss to Cedar Hill. Scary indeed.

Consider that last year's team also boasted then sophomore Alexis Jones, who as a junior put the team on her back and lifted them to the school's first state championship. How about a triple-double on the big stage? Jones walked off the court at the University of Texas Frank Erwin Center with a gold medal around her neck after posting a stat line of 25 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists. With a talented nucleus returning to a 37-2 team, expect Suzie Oelshlegel's team to be an early favorite for a back-to-back title.

MaxPreps Texas girls basketball playoff brackets

In the process of winning the championship, MacArthur calmed Georgetown's sensational Krystal Forthan, an LSU signee who finished her high school career with a 14-point effort for the 33-4 Lady Eagles.

In Class 4A, Canyon (them again) culminated an unbeaten 38-0 season with a 44-39 win over upstart and state-tournament newbie Austin LBJ. Nicole Hampton posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards.

Legendary coach Joe Lombard hit milestone win No. 1,100 with the win against just 98 career losses. Canyon also became the 18th unbeaten state champion in the girls tournament and the first in Class 4A since Dallas Lincoln in 1999. LBJ, coincidentally, knocked off Lincoln 59-48 in this year's state semifinals.

For best individual performance (Alexis Jones aside), you have to look no further than the Class 3A state championship and the 43 points rung up by Peyton Little of Wylie (Abilene) in her team's 66-58 win over Lucas Lovejoy.

Little, a junior with an oral commitment to the University of Texas, dazzled the entire game on the way to breaking the Class 3A record of 42 set by Pflugerville's Karen Thompson in 1979. Wylie was the state runner-up last year and avenged a 73-66 loss to Lovejoy back in December at a Lovejoy tournament.

Even in that loss, Little canned 33 points. This time, she was making everything happen at both ends of the floor and scored in bunches, including early in the game when her team trailed 9-3 but she scored the next six points to create a tie.

Class 2A welcomed a pair of state title-tested foes in Brock and Winnsboro. Brock secured its third consecutive state championship by knocking off Winnsboro, 47-26. Kamy Cole almost matched the Winnsboro total by scoring 21 points to lead 35-5 Brock. But it was at the defensive end of the floor where the story was told as Winnsboro scored the fewest points in a Class 2A state championship since the tournament began playing fullcourt basketball in 1979.

But when you talk about familiar foes, you have to talk about the Class A Division I title game as Smyer and Martins Mill (Ben Wheeler) had a state championship rematch, this time won by Smyer, 52-49. Haley Fowler posted a strong double-double with 27 points and 14 board to help Smyer improve to 35-2.

Dominating Neches won its second consecutive Class A Division II championship by breezing past Whitharral, 65-44. Junior Roddericka Patton scored 20 in the win as Neches moved to 37-4.

A COMEBACK FOR THE AGES IN THE BOYS BRACKETS
As the girls were crowning champions in six classifications, the boys were wrapping up the regional rounds to find their state tournament participants.

One noteworthy game took place in a Class A Division I regional semifinal where Tenaha edged past Cayuga, 75-74. The Tigers actually trailed by 26 points in the third quarter before storming back to win against last year's state champions.

MaxPreps Texas boys basketball playoff brackets

Cayuga led 56-27 with 4:26 remaining in the third quarter before beginning the monster comeback. By the time the fourth quarter started, Tenaha had drawn within 59-50 and prepared to storm back in the final period.

Reginald Davis scored 27 points and Octavious Griffith had 24 in the win. Tenaha had eliminated Cayuga in the 2009 regional final, but in nowhere near as dramatic fashion.

RODRICK JACKSON PREPARES FOR HIS NEXT ASSIGNMENT
The Hearne boys advanced to the quarterfinal round in Class 2A Region 2 action before falling to Italy.

Along the way, senior Rodrick Jackson had an interesting detour to make before playing Sunnyvale in the area round. Jackson went to Houston on Wednesday to sign his contract and take his oath to join the United States Army.

Jackson returned on Thursday and while Sunnyvale pushed to play that evening, the game was held on Friday so Jackson could be assured of being on the court.

Jackson was superb in the 65-53 win over Sunnyvale by scoring 22 points and gathering seven rebounds and four steals.

R.V. Baugus is the publisher of Tex Preps Basketball magazine and texprepsbasketball.com.