By Scott Hansen
MaxPreps.com
Warren, North Crowley Takes 5A in First Try
Willie Warren had one bit of unfinished business before taking his stellar game to the University of Oklahoma. Warren even got an exclamation point jam in the fourth quarter as North Crowley won the 5A state title with a 73-67 victory over Fort Bend Dulles.
Warren, ranked the 14th best player nationally according to CSTV, scored 20 of his game-high 27 points in the second half and added eight assists for the champions. North Crowley finished the season with a 38-1 record while 38-year old head coach Tommy Barkel won his 300th game in his young career, all at North Crowley. North Crowley was making its first appearance at the state tournament in its 10-year history.
Dulles led 62-61 with 2:18 to play before North Crowley went into overdrive. Warren hit a bucket to put the Panthers ahead by one before Lamar Brown hit a huge three to put North Crowley up 66-62. They never looked back. Warren scored 15 in the final period for the Panthers.
Dontee Kinney chipped in with 20 points and eight rebounds for North Crowley. Fort Bend Dulles was led by Shaun Umeh’s 26 points. Dre Harrison added 21 in a losing effort.
North Crowley pounded Duncanville 86-57 en route to the state title. Duncanville won the 2007 Class 5A state title and was widely considered a strong candidate to repeat.
Warren will represent the West team in the McDonald’s All-American game, scheduled for Mar. 26 in Milwaukee, Wis.
5A All-Tournament Team
Dre Harrison, Ft. Bend Dulles Jr. 6-1 Guard
Dontee Kinney, North Crowley Jr. 6-2 Forward
Toure Murry, Klein Forest Sr. 6-4 Guard
Shaun Umeh, Ft. Bend Dulles Sr. 6-1 Guard
*Willie Warren, North Crowley Sr. 6-4 Guard
*Championship Game MVP
Another Year, Another Title for South Oak Cliff
South Oak Cliff has made a habit out of winning the state championship in 4A. For the fourth-straight year, the Golden Bears left Austin carrying the 4A championship trophy after an 80-77 victory over Fort Worth Southwest.
It didn’t come easy. Tournament MVP Brandon Jones needed all of his game-high 25 points to ensure SOC could win another crown. Jones added six rebounds and three steals.
SOC’s dominant post player J’mison Morgan missed two free throws with six ticks on the clock remaining, but Jones gobbled up the rebound. Jones sank two free throws with four seconds left to help put the game away.
SOC (25-8) trailed 76-74 until Jones stole a pass and dished it to Princeton Andrews. Andrews’ lay-up tied the score at 76. With 10 seconds remaining, SOC took the lead for good with two free throws from Andrews.
The LSU-bound Morgan, ranked 39th nationally according to CSTV, added 13 points, eight rebounds, and eight blocked shots for SOC despite being in the foul trouble in the first half.
For the Golden Bears, it would have been a four-peat had their 2006 title not been stripped due to an ineligible player.
Fort Worth Southwest (31-7) guard Kendall Timmons scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds before fouling out with 29 seconds left.
4A All-Tournament Team
Michael Connor, Ft. Worth Southwest Sr. 6-6 Forward
*Brandon Jones, Dallas South Oak Cliff Sr. 6-6 Guard/Forward
J’Mison Morgan, Dallas South Oak Cliff Sr. 6-11 Center
Robert Moore, Boerne Sr. 6-5 Forward/Center
Kendall Timmons, Ft. Worth Southwest Sr. 6-5 Guard
*Championship Game MVP
Kennedale Works Overtime, Claims 3A
Kennedale’s Brian Davis turned his misfortune into a 3A state title. Davis has had two surgeries on his knee and will need a third after being named MVP after his team downed Burkburnett in overtime, 61-59.
Davis scored 12 points and added six rebounds and scored the winning bucket on a dish from Dominique Harris. Harris added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the champions. Kiefer Hohenberger paced Kennedale with 15 points and seven boards.
Harris thought he had won it in regulation. With the score knotted at 54, Harris’ tip-in try off a rebound went through the hoop, but was ruled to be after the buzzer. Harris did his part on making the play that won his team the state title with his pass to Davis. The Wildcats (33-5) took home the 3A crown in their first state tourney appearance.
Desmond Strickland scored a game-high 23 points to lead Burkburnett (31-7).
3A All-Tournament Team
*Brian Davis, Kennedale Sr. 6-3 Guard/Forward
Dominique Harris, Kennedale Sr. 6-5 Guard/Forward
Kiefer Hohenberger, Kennedale Sr. 6-5 Guard/Forward
Shannon Robinson, Silsbee Jr. 5-7 Guard
Desmond Strickland, Burkburnett Sr. 6-1 Guard
*Championship Game MVP
Sharpshooting Ponder Rolls
Ponder took advantage of the high percentage shot to power its way to the 2A title with a 72-51 victory over Tuscola Jim Ned.
Ponder shot 64 percent from the field in the victory. Nathan McPherson scored the first six points of the game en route to a game-high 24 points, hitting 12-for-17 shots from the field. In all, the Lions hit 17 field goals from inside the paint.
Ponder, which also won the state title in 2001, finished the season with a 39-2 record. Calvin Redfern scored 12 points for the Lions, including buzzer-beaters from behind the arc to end the second and third periods.
Blake Allen, just a sophomore, scored 22 to lead Tuscola Jim Ned (29-8).
2A All-Tournament Team
Blake Allen, Tuscola Jim Ned So. 6-1 Guard
Isaiah Boxell, Ponder Jr. 5-10 Guard
Jordan Coffman, Tuscola Jim Ned Sr. 6-2 Guard
*Nathan McPherson, Ponder Sr. 6-2 Forward/Center
Calvin Redfearn, Ponder Sr. 6-1 Guard
*Championship Game MVP
Irwin Leads Thorndale
Brandon Irwin scored nine of his 19 points in the crucial fourth period to lead Thorndale to a 53-42 victory over Big Sandy to claim the 1A, Division I crown.
It was the second straight title for Thorndale (36-1). Cody Schneider drilled four triples for Thorndale and chipped in with 18 points.
Corey Tolar scored 14 points, while Troy Langley added 11 for Big Sandy (27-11) in the loss.
1A, Division I All-Tournament Team
*Brandon Irwin, Thorndale Sr. 6-2 Guard
Michael Kowena, Big Sandy So. 6-1 Guard
Troy Langley, Big Sandy Sr. 5-10 Guard
Austin Llana, Thorndale Sr. 6-4 Center
Cody Schneider, Thorndale Jr. 5-10 Guard
*Championship Game MVP
Laneville Gets Revenge, Title
Laneville returned to the scene where it lost in the state final to Nazareth in 2007. Not this time. Behind 25 points from Marcus Anderson, Laneville scored a 56-50 victory over Goodrich to win the 1A, Division II crown.
Byron Blanton, named game MVP, scored 18 points and ripped down 12 rebounds for Laneville (32-5). Laneville only enrolls 40 students, 19 of them male. 14 of the 19 males participated in basketball this past season.
DeShune Williams scored 20 points for Goodrich (32-6), while Steven Chavarria added 15.
1A, Division II
Marcus Anderson, Laneville Sr. 5-10 Guard
*Byron Blanton, Laneville Jr. 5-10 Forward
Gerraylon Carey, Laneville So. 6-1 Center
Steven Chavarria, Goodrich Jr. 6-2 Guard/Forward
Deshune Williams, Goodrich Jr. 6-0 Guard/Forward
*Championship Game MVP
UIL Boys Basketball state tournament website.
Scott Hansen: maxprepsok@sbcglobal.net
