Category: Girls basketball

by Daniel Youngblood

DANIEL YOUNGBLOOD: This week in Big Country girls basketball (Jan 24-30)

With just three weeks remaining in the regular season, we’ve hit the stretch run for area girls basketball teams.

Those in position to reach the postseason will be trying to solidify that standing, while teams just outside the playoff picture will be out to score that key upset that gets them back in it.

If you’re a fan of Big Country hoops, it’s a great time of year. With that said, let’s take a look at what the upcoming week holds.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

FEATURE: Eula’s Fostel adjusting to new role as girls basketball coach

EULA — After an 18-year run as one of the most successful boys basketball coaches in the Big Country (including a Class 1A Division I state title in 2011), Eula’s Josh Fostel stepped away from his position following last season with the hopes of spending more time watching his twin daughters (Laney and Layla) play. 

As it turns out, he is now coaching them. 

With longtime EHS girls coach Jamie Masonheimer accepting the same position at Clyde during the offseason, Fostel decided to take the reins of the girls program. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Shorthanded Cooper boys, determined Wylie girls score big crosstown wins

Playing shorthanded after seeing its Tuesday game against Lubbock Coronado postponed due to illness, the Cooper boys basketball team put forth a gutsy effort Friday against crosstown rival Wylie, answering every challenge from the visiting Bulldogs on its way to a 54-41 win at Cougar Gym.

The Cougars, who practiced with just five players all week, had just six rotation players Friday. But they did enough without starting point guard Andrew Gonzalez to snap Wylie’s six-game winning streak and extend their own to five games.

Coach Bryan Conover’s squad, which improved to 15-7 overall and 2-0 in District 4-5A with the victory, saw a 30-19 halftime lead trimmed to four twice in the second half — once in the third quarter and again in the fourth. But the Coogs finished each of the final two periods on sizeable runs to put away the upset-minded Bulldogs.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Stephenville, Brownwood split varsity doubleheader

STEPHENVILLE — Just because the Stephenville boys basketball team is off to a slow start, first-year Brownwood coach Will Parker knew better heading into Friday’s district matchup with the Lions’ archrival. 

And true to form, a 6-18 SHS team put a scare into the Lions (18-7, 2-0)  who held on for a 67-59 win in a physical game played before an enthusiastic crowd  at the Stephenville gym.  The game served as the nightcap for a varsity doubleheader, with the Stephenville girls taking the first contest 51-28. 

Luke Moss scored 20 points and Bryson Monroe added 15 more to pace Brownwood (18-7, 2-0 District 6-4A), which maintained a 3-10 point lead from the 4:58 mark of the second quarter until the end of the game. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Zach Duncan, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Hard-working Merkel senior O’Malley looking to finish career off right

Alyssa O’Malley’s happy place is inside a basketball gym.

That’s where the Merkel senior spends most of her free time, honing her shot and working on her craft.

“A special coach once told me that there is always someone out there working harder than you,” O’Malley said. “There is a lot of pride taken into my work ethic as I know that the preparation side of the game is vital to the way I perform.”

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

Big Country Girls Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Jan. 20)

Each Thursday night, Big Country Preps will publish area boys and girls basketball statistical leaders.

This database will be continually updated for our subscribers throughout the remainder of the season, using only those statistics submitted by area coaches.

Teams that do not submit their statistics in a given week will not be listed when our stats are posted, but will be added to the lists below as they are received in the coming days. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Wylie girls pick up much-needed win over LHS to kick off doubleheader sweep

Off to an 0-3 start to District 4-5A play and hosting a quality Lubbock High squad, the Wylie girls basketball team found itself in a near must-win situation Tuesday at Bulldog Gym.

And with their backs against the wall, the Lady Bulldogs responded exactly the way coach Amy Powell had hoped they would.

Following a 16-9 second-quarter run to build a 26-17 halftime lead, WHS used a strong defensive effort to keep the Lady Westerners at arm’s length the rest of the night, scoring a 50-38 win to set the stage for a doubleheader sweep of LHS.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Eagles top San Saba in overtime thriller

GOLDTHWAITE — Beating an archrival can have enough meaning on its own. But when its in overtime for sole possession of first place in the district standings, you’re talking about a special evening for the victor. 

The Goldthwaite boys got a taste of that on Tuesday, knocking off longtime rival San Saba 52-48 in overtime to remain unbeaten in District 29-2A with seven games left to play. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Mike Lee, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Brownwood’s Goodwin prefers team wins over individual stats

Tessa Goodwin’s individual statistics aren’t as impressive as last season when the Brownwood forward made all-state, but the Class 4A Lady Lions are enjoying a better season and are in line to return to the playoffs.

And that’s just fine with Goodwin.

“I realized this year that other teams were going to have two or three players doubling up on me inside,” the 5-foot-10 senior said. “We’ve got some veteran 3-point shooters this year like Mady Pyle and Kassidy Wooten and Naysa Leach. If their doubling up on me, our 3-point shooters are open. That’s less of a hassle for me, and it helps the team.”

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Cross Plains’ Shepard takes the top spot

 

In a week that featured several noteworthy performances, our selection of the Capital Farm Credit/BCP Player of the Week was a difficult one this time around. 

In the end, our pick was Cross Plains junior guard Abbigale Shepherd, who took the accolade for the week ending Jan. 15. But it wasn’t her scoring average of 22 points per game in wins over Rising Star (67-20) and Moran (76-17) that did it. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Zach Duncan, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Stamford girls still thriving under new coach and new tactics

Joe Crabb knew he was inheriting a talented girls basketball team when he became Stamford’s coach over the summer.  

But Crabb had no idea the profound impact the Lady Bulldogs would have on him in such a short amount of time.

“It’s a special, special group to me. I’ve liked all my kids I’ve ever coached, but I feel like we’re a really close group,” Crabb said. “It’s been a blast. They’ve given me a new lease on life, rejuvenated me for sure.”  

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

EVAN REN: This week in Big Country girls basketball (Jan. 17-23)

With all things pertaining to area football completely behind us, it is now time to focus a laser beam on Big Country hoops. And with district races heating up, there are plenty of things to keep an eye on. 

Each week until season’s end, this column will take a look at some of the top area matchups on the horizon, along with the top games from the previous week and its most surprising result.

That’s said, let’s dive in to our first installment of This Week in Girls Basketball. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

FEATURE: Hurtado sisters may vary in terms of style and personality, but the results are the same

CISCO — One is strictly by the book. The other enjoys straying from the path from time to time just to keep things lively.  One is an inside-outside dual threat.  The other is strictly an inside power player. 

And yet, they’re sisters. 

At the end of the day, however, Cisco’s Sophia  and Brooklyn Hurtado are both good, they’re both tall (standing 6-2 and 6-3, respectively) and they’re smart enough to create a serious matchup problem for any team the Lady Loboes face.

“In 17 years of coaching, I’ve never had this sort of height to coach — especially two of them,” Cisco coach Brent Kilpatrick said. “It’s been challenging and fun. It’s been a good problem to have, but it’s also challenging — figuring out how to incorporate those two.” 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

LOCAL HOOPS ROUNDUP: Cooper, Wylie boys open District 4-5A play with victories

LUBBOCK — Led by forward Jaelyn Rivera, who dropped a career-high 28 points on Tuesday, the Cooper boys basketball team opened District 4-5A play with a 63-51 over Lubbock High, improving to 14-7 with the victory.

Rivera accounted for 12 of the Cougars’ 25 field goals and went 4 of 5 from the free-throw line to lead a list of three Cooper players in double figures. Jalen Cherry hit four 3-pointers on his way to 16 points while Colin Reed finished with 10.

Continue reading “LOCAL HOOPS ROUNDUP: Cooper, Wylie boys open District 4-5A play with victories” →

by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Greathouse’s late bucket fuels Big Spring boys to thrilling win at Snyder

SNYDER — Tied with Snyder after his technical foul allowed the Tigers to even things up with just over 40 seconds remaining Tuesday, Big Spring guard Gavin Greathouse could have allowed that momentary lapse to be his final impression on the game. 

Instead, the senior followed the miscue with one of the biggest shots of his career. 

With the game still deadlocked more than 30 seconds later, Greathouse dribbled himself free for a 17-foot jumper that hit nothing but net on the way down, giving the Steers a 46-44 lead with 4.4 seconds remaining. And after a series of timeouts, the Big Spring defense did the rest, securing a win by the same score to complete a doubleheader sweep at Tiger Gym.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Mike Lee, Special to Big Country Preps

GAME STORY: Goldthwaite boys remain undefeated in District 29-2A

GOLDTHWAITE — The Goldthwaite Eagles can’t be labeled as offensively challenged as long as they keep shooting 3-point shots the way they did this week.

Goldthwaite beat the Harper Longhorns 61-33 in District 29-2A Friday night, and for the second game in a row, the Eagles made 12 3-point shots. On Friday, senior guard Jackson Patrick made five 3-pointers – every field goal he made was a trey – and freshman guard Luke Sanderson added four 3-point shots. Brothers Collin and Seth Gardner combined to make the other three treys.

Patrick and Sanderson each scored 18 points as Goldthwaite (12-10 overall) improved to 4-0 in district and set up a showdown Tuesday against San Saba (12-7, 4-0) for the 29-2A lead. San Saba is the two-time defending district champion, and Goldthwaite finished second last year.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Hot-shooting Eagles, sharp-dressed coaches pick up much-needed win over MHS

With his team coming off back-to-back losses to open District 2-6A play, Abilene High boys basketball coach Justin Reese felt he needed to shake things up heading into Tuesday’s home matchup against Midland High.

So naturally, as a superstitious former athlete, he chose to focus on the area most likely to impact the Eagles’ play in a positive manner — coaching staff wardrobe.

Trading in their khakis and polo shirts for suits, Reese and his assistants got just the results they were looking for as Abilene High knocked down 15 3-pointers in a 65-40 wire-to-wire win over the Bulldogs.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Merkel boys, Jim Ned girls claim wins in key District 6-3A doubleheader

MERKEL — Merkel’s Ryder Hoyle had perhaps the play of the game Tuesday night against district rival Jim Ned, and it wasn’t even one that added points to the scoreboard.

Instead, his rotation from the backside allowed him to make a thunderous block on a second-quarter dunk attempt and propelled the Badgers to a 42-37 win over the Indians in a thrilling District 6-3A matchup on Tuesday night.

After the game, Merkel coach B.C. Lee gushed over Hoyle and his block, which helped move MHS into at least a three-way tie for the district lead after two weeks.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Snyder senior takes first award of 2021

With our the Capital Farm Credit/BCP Player of the Week taking a two-week hiatus for the holidays, we extended our normal range of eligibility to include events that occurred over Christmas break. 

That left us with a lot of possibilities to sift through before Snyder’s Eber Murillo emerged as the area’s top performer between Dec. 20 and Jan. 8. 

You’d better get the calculator out. 

Through the holidays, the senior forward had 39 points and 12 boards in a win over Brownwood, 25 points and seven rebounds in a loss to Amarillo Caprock and 11 points and nine boards in a loss to Class 6A Abilene. To this, he added 38 combined points (rebounds unavailable) in wins over Fabens and Lubbock. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

LOCAL HOOPS ROUNDUP: Cooper, Wylie girls fall in District 4-5A openers

The Cooper and Wylie girls basketball teams both opened District 4-5A play with losses Friday, as the Lady Cougars fell 66-50 to No. 8 Lubbock Cooper and the Lady Bulldogs were beaten 58-40 by Lubbock Monterey.

Those results put district favorites Lubbock Cooper and Monterey in a first-place tie with Lubbock High, which downed Lubbock Coronado 49-42 Friday night, while Abilene Cooper, Wylie and Coronado are a game behind in a tough six-team district.

Cooper will travel to Monterey for a difficult road test and Wylie will play at Coronado when league play resumes on Tuesday.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Jim Ned sweeps Wall in District 6-3A action

TUSCOLA — The Jim Ned boys basketball team held Wall scoreless for almost the first six minutes of the second half as part of a 21-4 run as the Indians took down the Hawks 55-49 in District 6-3A play Friday at Bill Thornton Arena.

Ben Eshelman had a game-high 19 points for the Indians, who won their first matchup against the Hawks under first-year head coach Blake Allen.

A Jim Ned graduate who has played in the rivalry and was an assistant coach under Eric Phelps prior to this year, Allen said being the one roaming the sidelines was a different feeling than he’s had before.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Late rally lifts Cooper girls over Stephenville in nondistrict thriller

Trailing Stephenville 49-44 with less than 40 seconds remaining, the Cooper girls basketball team appeared to be headed for a hard-luck loss to the No. 21 team in Class 4A on Tuesday at Cougar Gym.

But in a game chock full of extended runs and wild momentum swings, the Lady Cougars had one more rally left in them.

CHS closed the game with six consecutive points — the final four on pressure-packed free throws by Karrigan Parrott — to claim a thrilling 50-49 win in its final nondistrict game before opening District 4-5A play against eighth-ranked Lubbock Cooper on Friday.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Stamford girls rally past Holliday to claim title at Eula Holiday Classic

EULA — Trailing Holliday 46-37 with about 2½ minutes remaining on Wednesday, it looked as though the Stamford girls basketball team’s run at the Eula Holiday Classic would end one win shy of the tournament championship.

But having already won tournament titles at Ballinger and Merkel this season, the Lady Bulldogs had no intention of letting a chance at a third championship slip past them without a fight.

Despite struggling on both ends for most of the night, coach Joe Crabb’s squad closed regulation on a 9-0 run, getting a trio of clutch free throws from Tylee Jo Bevel with just over four seconds remaining to force overtime before pulling away in the extra period for a thrilling 58-52 victory.

The Lady Bulldogs’ dramatic win closed out an action-packed Holiday Classic, which also saw Hermleigh win the girls third-place game, the Jim Ned boys finish fourth and Eula and Early win consolation titles on the girls and boys side, respectively.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Stamford girls advance to title game at Eula Holiday Classic

EULA — After winning the Merkel and Ballinger tournaments, the Stamford girls basketball team put itself in position to win a third on Tuesday, advancing to the championship game of the Eula Holiday Classic with lopsided wins over Lingleville and Tolar.

The Lady Bulldogs, who routed Miles 75-31 on the tournament’s opening day Monday, cruised through the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds as well, defeating Lingleville 58-17 and Tolar 56-20 to earn a matchup with Holliday in the girls title game at 5:20 p.m. Wednesday.

Stamford was the only Big Country team to reach the championship game, as the Jim Ned boys and Hermleigh girls both fell in the semifinals on Tuesday — the Indians to Tolar 50-29 and the Lady Cardinals to Holliday 44-37.

Continue reading “TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Stamford girls advance to title game at Eula Holiday Classic” →

by Evan Ren

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Sweetwater boys take Anson tourney title, AHS girls take second

ANSON — One brief second-half surge was just enough to give Sweetwater a permanent upper hand in the championship game of the Anson Holiday Tournament on Tuesday, boosting the Mustangs to a 59-47 win over Gunter.

Harrison Foster scored 19 points and collected tournament MVP honors to lead Sweetwater (12-4), which used an 8-0 run in the waning minutes of the third quarter to take control of the game. Malik Brown added nine points, as did Damarrius Walker to help Sweetwater (12-4), which never led by less than five points the rest of the way. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Jim Ned boys, Hermleigh girls advance to semis on Day 1 of Eula Holiday Classic

The Jim Ned boys and Hermleigh girls both advanced to the semifinals of the Eula Holiday Classic on Monday, headlining a list of six Big Country teams still vying for a championship at the annual tournament.

Eula will try to join Jim Ned in the boys semifinals when play resumes Tuesday, while Eastland, Lingleville and Stamford all remain alive in the girls quarterfinals.

Eula is set to take on Bells in boys quarterfinals action at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at Eula Middle School. The girls bracket, meanwhile, will feature quarterfinals matchups between Eastland and Tolar at 9:30 Tuesday and Lingleville and Stamford at 10:40 — both at Eula High School’s Mary Mosley Gymnasium.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

TOURNAMENT CENTRAL: Anson boys, girls win pools; Roscoe girls rebound in Holiday Tourney

ANSON — Pool play concluded in the annual Anson Holiday Tournament on Monday, and nobody is in better shape than the hosts. 

The Anson Tigers and Lady Tigers both swept through pool play with two straight wins — the boys beating Seymour 39-38 and Roscoe (69-29), while Anson’s girls dropped Roscoe 43-30 and Seymour 55-38. Both teams will play in their respective “Gold” brackets today with a chance to win the Tournament championship. 

The Anson girls will face Farwell, the winner of Pool C at 8:30 a.m today.  A victory would advance them to the tournament championship to face either Idalou or Iowa Park at 6 p.m.  The Anson boys will take on Gunter at 1:30 p.m. If they win, they will face either Sweetwater or Farwell for the tournament championship at 7:30 p.m.

The Roscoe girls, despite their 0-1 start, recovered with a 63-38 win in the evening to secure a spot in the silver bracket where they will take on Lorena. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Jim Ned girls, boys pull away from Ballinger for doubleheader sweep

TUSCOLA — For a quarter Tuesday, the Ballinger Ladycats gave third-ranked and undefeated Jim Ned all it could handle in the opening game of a District 6-3A basketball doubleheader at Bill Thornton Arena. But the Lady Indians countered with a 17-4 run through the second period and were never threatened again in a 62-37 victory.

Facing a zone look from the Ladycats, it took Jim Ned a little time to find its footing offensively. But after Ballinger rallied from an early 8-2 deficit to take a brief lead at 11-10, coach Hunter Cooley’s squad finished the first quarter on a 5-2 run before hitting six of its eight 3-pointers over the next two periods to pull take an 18-point lead into the final quarter.

From there, it was academic as the Lady Indians improved to 16-0 overall and 3-0 in league play with the comfortable win.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Eakin takes our final award for 2021

NOTE: This will be our final Player of the Week award for 2021, but the column will return after the holidays on Monday, Jan. 10.

Our final Capital Farm Credit/BCP Player of the Week award for 2021 could not have been earned on a bigger stage. 

Stephenville receiver Coy Eakin claims the accolade, after earning Offensive MVP honors during the Yellow Jackets’ 38-21 win over Austin LBJ in the Class 4A Division I state championship game on Friday. 

It was genuinely Eakin’s night and for more reasons than one. 

Aside from hauling in nine catches for 187 yards and three scores (including a one-handed grab for a TD), Eakin rushed for another touchdown, forced a fumble, recovered an important onside kick and picked off a pass. 

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Abilene High girls can’t find rhythm in district-opening loss to Permian

The Abilene High girls basketball team put forth a strong defensive effort in its District 2-6A opener against Odessa Permian on Tuesday, but struggles on the other end kept the Lady Eagles from capitalizing in a 40-32 loss at Eagle Gym.

Bothered by the Lady Panthers’ ball pressure, AHS had trouble with turnovers all game. And when the Lady Eagles were able to get into their offense, they had a hard time getting open shots, finishing with just eight made field goals as a team.

Those offensive woes allowed Permian to stretch an 18-15 halftime lead to double digits by the midway point of the fourth quarter, supplying the Lady Panthers with the cushion they’d need to hold for the road victory.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us
by Evan Ren

CAPITAL FARM CREDIT/BCP PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Stamford’s Applin wins this week’s award

While scoring a lot of points is always an attention-getter, the Capital Farm Credit/BCP Player of the Week column puts a great deal of value in players who can contribute in a variety of ways. And today’s winner is a prime of example of that. 

Stamford junior guard Laylonna Applin takes our accolade after helping the Lady Bulldogs to a 5-0 record on the week, with wins over Burkburnett, Christoval, Class 4A No. 13 Sanger, the San Angelo Central JV and Veribest. The last for victories came in the Ballinger tournament, at which Applin was named MVP.

Yes, she did plenty of scoring, dropping in an eye-popping 134 points through five games. But Applin did a lot more than just put the ball in the hoop.

You need to be logged in to view the rest of the content. Please . Not a Member? Join Us