Alexis Jones' triple double leads to Texas girls basketball title

When Alexis Jones wasn't happy with her performance in the Class 5A semifinals of the UIL state tournament, some people were stunned. After all, the MacArthur (Irving) guard nearly had a triple double (22 points, nine rebounds, nine assists) in a 64-51 victory over San Antonio Wagner.

But it was the next night when Jones was truly stunning. The junior guard, who might be the top recruit in the Class of 2012, scored 25 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and dished out 14 assists Saturday as MacArthur beat Georgetown, 74-51, to win its first state title.

"I'm really proud of my team," Jones said. "They really came to play with heart, and when I was struggling, they had my back."

It was hard to find Jones struggling in any way as MacArthur (37-2) routed Georgetown (33-4) in front of 8,937 fans at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. Jones drilled 3-pointers, zipped passes to teammates, glided around defenders and dropped in shots over Georgetown's 6-4 McDonald's All-American center, Krystal Forthan.

MacArthur, which won the school's first state title in any team sport, had several players who performed like MVPs. Guard Ayriel Anderson hit five 3-pointers and finished with 22 points. Center Karmyn Jackson grabbed 10 rebounds and was the primary defender on Forthan, an LSU signee who finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds.

But Jones was the key to MacArthur taking control early. She scored 13 points in the first quarter.

"Once she gets going, then she gets her teammates involved," coach Suzie Oelschlegel said, "and that's how it works."

It worked very well for MacArthur.

MaxPreps Texas girls basketball playoff brackets

SIX AREA BOYS BASKETBALL TEAMS QUALIFY FOR STATE
Melissa (2A), A. Maceo Smith (Dallas) (3A), Kimball (Dallas) and Arlington Heights (Fort Worth) (4A), and Marcus (Flower Mound) and Lakeview Centennial (Garland) (5A) will play in this week's UIL state tournament, which begins Thursday at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin.

Fans have waited all season for a matchup of Marcus (No. 4 in the  MaxPreps Xcellent 25 boys basketball rankings presented by the Army National Guard) and Lakeview (No. 12), and the teams were placed in separate 5A semifinals. Lakeview (36-1) was the 5A runner-up last year and Marcus (37-1) lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Fort Bend Bush.

MaxPreps Texas boys basketball playoff brackets

FIRST ALL-AREA FINALS IN 4A AND 5A POSSIBLE
With Marcus and Lakeview in separate semifinals in 5A and Kimball (36-3) and Fort Worth Arlington Heights (32-3) in separate 4A semis, it's possible that teams from North Texas will go head-to-head for the two largest crowns.

That has never happened before, and only eight times have Dallas-area teams met in 4A or 5A finals:

4A
1977 -- South Oak Cliff 78, Fort Worth Dunbar 71
1987 -- Hillcrest 54, Cleburne 42
2000 -- Denton Ryan 80, Madison 69
2006 -- Fort Worth Dunbar (win by forfeit) over South Oak Cliff
2008 -- South Oak Cliff 80, Fort Worth Southwest 77

5A
1996 -- Kimball 72, Euless Trinity 64
1999 -- Duncanville 78, Kimball 61
2009 -- DeSoto 59, Cedar Hill 47

ARLINGTON GRACE PREP WINS TAPPS BASKETBALL TITLE
Emmanuel Mudiay scored 14 of his game-high 16 points in the second half Saturday as Grace Prep (Arlington) beat Houston Westbury, 42-37, in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools 4A title game.
St. Thomas Catholic (Houston) beat Plano Prestonwood Christian, 76-57, in the TAPPS 5A final.

STATE FOOTBALL GAMES COULD BE BACK AT COWBOYS STADIUM
The University Interscholastic League is in discussions with Cowboys Stadium to be the central site for the 2011 UIL football championships, according to a report in The Dallas Morning News. Interim UIL athletic director Mark Cousins said Monday that nothing is finalized but that Cowboys Stadium might host the championships for the second straight season.

In February, UIL executive director Charles Breithaupt said Cowboys Stadium, San Antonio's Alamodome and Houston's Reliant Stadium were the possible sites. The 2010 championships in December marked the first time that the UIL held all of its football title games at a central location. The 5A, 4A and 3A title games were at Cowboys Stadium and 1A and 2A were at Vernon Newsom Stadium in nearby Mansfield.

TOP PERFORMERS
* Hondo Webb, Melissa basketball: The senior point guard scored 13 points and had 26 rebounds as Melissa dominated Italy, 74-42, to advance to the 2A semifinals.

* Brandon Estrada, Frisco Liberty baseball: In 20 plate appearances last week, the junior shortstop hit .474 with three home runs and nine RBIs in the Little Elm Tournament.

FINAL THOUGHT
Late last year, the Dallas Independent School District announced plans for A. Maceo Smith to be recast as a new high school that will emphasize technology and project-based learning for up to 400 students. Students in Smith's attendance zone who don't attend the new tech high school will go to a renovated Wilmer-Hutchins High School.

With that decision, this year became the last one for A. Maceo Smith sports teams. So what a great story the boys basketball team has become. After finishing the regular season 21-9, Smith has won five straight games to make it to the state tournament for the first time ever.

It's hard not to cheer for the emotion-filled Smith players, who are two wins from a 3A title.

Matt Wixon is the high school sports columnist for The Dallas Morning News. He can be reached at mwixon@dallasnews.com or on Twitter @mattwixon.