Duncanville begins to celebrate its seventh state title, but first since 2003.
Photo by Dan Wozniak
Before her team battled MacArthur (Irving, Texas) in the Class 5A state quarterfinals last week, Duncanville coach Cathy Self-Morgan proclaimed that it would actually be for the state championship.
Tasia Foman had another big night
for the champions.
Photo by Dan Wozniak
Late Saturday night, the
Duncanville (Texas) players backed up their coach's comment in spectacular fashion at the Frank Erwin Center.
In the most lopsided 5A championship game ever, Duncanville flattened Spring Dekaney, 69-31, to win its seventh state title and first since 2003.
In last week's matchup with MacArthur, Duncanville scored the final 11 points in overtime to dethrone the defending 5A champ. But against Dekaney, Duncanville scored 22 of the first 23 points to end the suspense early.
Ridiculously early.
Duncanville (40-1), No. 5 in the Xcellent 25 rankings and No. 1 in the Freeman Rankings, took its first double-digit lead four minutes into the game. Before the first quarter was over, the Pantherettes were up by 20. With two minutes left in the half, Duncanville's lead had expanded to 30.
Duncanville's Kiara Perry snaps
up a rebound.
Photo by Dan Wozniak
It was more like it exploded. Duncanville's pressure defense led to turnover after turnover, and the Pantherettes turned the Dekaney mistakes into points. Duncanville, which suffered its only loss of the season to Plano West in December, scored 22 points off turnovers and a staggering 42 points in the paint.
At halftime, it was 41-9. That's the kind of score that sometimes occurs in district mismatches, but not on the final day of the season, on the biggest stage, and against a team that had won 40 straight games.
But it was all true. Dekaney (40-2) had lost its season opener and then rolled to the state final.
Then it got steamrolled by one of the best girls basketball teams ever.
Antiona Robinson goes up for two
for Duncanville.
Photo by Dan Wozniak
"We're the city of champions," Self-Morgan said. "That's what we're supposed to do."
Dekaney only made 8 of 39 shots and was outrebounded 46-23 by Duncanville, which didn't start a player over 5-foot-10 but swarmed the boards like piranhas. Duncanville also had 17 assists to just one for Dekaney.
Jaleesa Chapel led Dekaney with 12 points, but she and her teammates were overwhelmed in front of the 6,521 fans – some of which were leaving by halftime.
Tasia Foman had 21 points for Duncanville and
Empress Davenport added 17. Davenport also was on the front line of Duncanville's press, which forced eight turnovers in the first quarter.
The Texas signee, playing on her future home court, was named the game's MVP.
"I think we all deserve to be MVP," she said, "because we all played as a team."
A very dominant one.
Summit celebrates its 4A state title.
Photo by Dan Wozniak
In a tense, physical matchup of two of the Dallas-area's top teams, the difference was free throws. Summit made most of them, including four in the final two minutes, and Rockwall didn't.
Summit's Shayna Jackson drives left.
Photo by Dan Wozniak
Rockwall trailed 41-40 when center Alyssa Lang went to the free-throw line with 1:11 left. But Lang, a Rice signee who scored 25 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had three blocks, missed the front end of a one-and-one.
Summit (37-3) rebounded and
Maya Hawkins was fouled. Hawkins, who finished with 19 points and was named the game MVP, sank a free throw to make it 42-40. After Lang missed a jumper,
Ashley Eli made two free throws to extend the lead to four with 32 seconds left.
The last hope for Rockwall (34-8) faded when Paige Turner missed the front end of another one-and-one with 25 seconds left. Rockwall made only 12 of its 23 free throws, while Summit made 10 of 13.
The Summit and Rockwall game was
a fierce battle to the end.
Photo by Dan Wozniak
3AWylie (Abilene) 59, Celina 45Peyton Little scored 33 points as Wylie repeated at 3A state champion. Little, a 5-10 guard who signed with Texas A&M, was named the tournament MVP for the second straight year. She did the bulk of her scoring at the free-throw line, where she hit 15 of 18.
Wylie (36-5) led by a single point late in the third quarter, but Little scored six points during a 12-2 run to expand the lead to 43-32 lead with six minutes left in the game. Celina (34-4) was led by
Presley Stastny, who finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Other championship game results2A: Brock 52, Poth 49
1A Division 1: Sudan 70, Martin's Mill 40
1A Division 2: Neches 60, Lipan 41
Duncanville's celebration was one for the ages.
Photo by Dan Wozniak
