Category: Girls basketball

by Yale Youngblood, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Goldthwaite girls, Coach Hermesmeyer feel “sky is the limit” for playoff potential

If you’ve avidly followed the bouncing ball over the past several seasons, you might be aware that the Goldthwaite Lady Eagles have evolved into one of the region’s standard bearers on the hardwood.

Coach Angie Hermesmeyer has assembled a program that routinely challenges for district titles and generally looms as one of the area’s tougher outs once postseason play begins.

This year, the Lady Eagles are 30-3 overall after going a perfect 12-0 in District 29-2A play. And get this: Goldthwaite hasn’t lost a game in 2024.

So, Hermesmeyer was asked, what is a fair expectation of this incarnation of the Lady Eagles on the eve of her team’s area-round playoff game against Kenedy at 7 p.m. Friday at Ingram Moore High School?

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: May knocks off Highland fourth consecutive bi-district matchup

CLYDE — For the fourth straight year, Highland and May met in the bi-district round of the Region II-1A girls basketball playoffs on Tuesday night.

Matching up at Bulldog Gym, the Lady Tigers evened the score with a 43-35 win over the Lady Hornets, earning an area-round date with Harrold on Friday.

May, which had lost the previous two playoff matchups with the Lady Hornets by at least 24 points, had its sights set on shutting down Highland with a full-court press. May coach Brad McGann said the familiarity with HHS made game preparation easier.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Glasgow lights up Vernon with 32 points as Maidens advance to 3A area round

ANSON — Facing a dangerous Vernon team in the Region I-3A bi-district round, the Comanche Maidens needed to get off to good start to gain some early confidence and momentum after not playing a game for a full week. 

As luck would have it, they had an insurance policy in their back pocket in junior guard Kinsey Glasgow, who poured in 32 points, including 16 in a red-hot first quarter to lift the Maidens to a 72-48 win at the Anson High School Gym. 

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Stifling defense, extended runs fuel Merkel to bi-district win over Brady

WINTERS — During Brady’s 10-0 run through District 5-3A play, the Lady Bulldogs made a habit of dictating tempo, frequently overwhelming their opponents on the defensive end.

On Monday at the Winters High School gym, it was Merkel that did those things to BHS, limiting the Lady Bulldogs to just 12 total field goals in a 54-31 bi-district win.

Taking advantage of a strong start, the Lady Badgers raced out to a 15-6 lead after a quarter and never trailed from there, using an 11-0 run out of halftime to build a 20-point cushion they would have little trouble protecting the rest of the way.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Robert Lee opens playoff run with lopsided win over Santa Anna

WINTERS — The Robert Lee girls basketball team started fast and finished strong Monday, cruising to a 60-30 win over Santa Anna in a Region II-1A bi-district matchup at the Winters High School gym.

The 23rd-ranked Lady Steers raced out to a 14-7 lead after a quarter, extended it to 30-13 by halftime and maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way in improving to 26-8 on the year and earning an area-round matchup later this week against the winner of Rankin and Sierra Blanca.

Santa Anna, which saw its season come to an end with the loss, narrowed the gap to 12 points late in the third quarter, but Robert Lee dominated the final 10 minutes to pull away for a comfortable win.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Stephenville relies on defense, rebounding to eliminate Snyder and advance to area round

CLYDE — Nobody wants a 1-of -13 effort from the free-throw line, particularly in postseason play. But the Stephenville Honeybees were able to sidestep this disastrous tally in a 50-27 4A bi-district win over Snyder on Monday in Clyde. 

Marin Copeland scored 18 points and Kyla Ray added 15 more to lead Stephenville (21-11), which found compensation for its free-throw totals with a dominating defensive effort and a big edge on the glass.  

Stephenville now advances to face Burkburnett in the area round on Thursday in Graham with a still-unsettled starting time of 6 or 6:30 p.m.

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Hoops
by Evan Ren

FINAL Big Country Girls Basketball Statistical Leaders for 2024 (through Feb. 8): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Feb. 8.

NOTE: With the regular season coming to a close, this will be the final girls statistical leaders list we will post for this season. 

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by Evan Ren

SIGNING DAY 2024: Multiple area athletes have now inked their commitments

With National Signing Day taking place on Wednesday, the Big Country, as always, saw a large number of athletes finalize their commitments to compete at the next level. 

Headliners among this year’s signees include Albany running back Adam HIll and Hawley receiver Chandlin Myers, both of whom signed early with Texas Tech University. 

Stephenville offensive lineman Creece Brister (TCU) and Comanche defensive back Kyler Beaty (Baylor) also inked their letters early. They’re joined Brock offensive/defensive lineman Hunter Fay (Navy) and standout hurdler Dylan Foster (Army) as the top signees in the Big Country Preps coverage area.

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Hot-shooting Jim Ned boys run away from Clyde to cap dominant doubleheader sweep

TUSCOLA — Facing off with a Clyde squad playing for its postseason life, the Jim Ned boys basketball snuffed out any hope of an upset early Tuesday, raining down one 3-pointer after another in the early stages of a 66-30 win at Bill Thornton Arena.

The Indians knocked down five 3s in the first quarter and four more in the second to build a 38-19 lead by halftime and cruised from there to the 36-point victory, clinching their own playoff berth in the process.

The win capped a near perfect night for Jim Ned, which secured a 75-13 win in the girls game to kick off the doubleheader sweep.

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: San Angelo TLCA blocks Coahoma’s upset bid; Bulldogettes head to postseason with a win

SAN ANGELO — Lonnie Burnam knew that his Coahoma boys basketball team would need to play a near perfect game on Tuesday night to be able to knock off District 6-3A co-leader San Angelo TLCA.

For 17-plus minutes, he got everything that he wanted out of his team.

The rest of the game, however, was a different story and the Eagles pulled away for a 71-52 win as they remained tied with Wall atop the district standings.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Rigdon has another huge week

Benjamin LogoBenjamin’s Grayson Rigdon has been posting such overwhelming numbers for so long, that people scarcely blink when upon hearing of his latest exploits. 

So here we go again: Rigdon is our Big Country Preps Player of the Week after posting monstrous numbers in wins over Munday (81-60) and Electra (99-74).

In the Munday win, the junior guard tallied 41 points, nine assists and eight steals. Three nights later, he charted 51 points, six assists and 10 steals to help the Mustangs improve to 15-0 overall and 10-0 in district. 

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by Evan Ren

THIS WEEK IN GIRLS BASKETBALL: Regular season winds down, with playoffs looming in the near future

It’s difficult to fathom, but basketball’s second season is about to get underway. 

Tuesday night represents the final night of regular season hoops on the girls’ side, while the boys will finish up a week later. 

That said, let’s take a quick peek at last week’s top games, along with Tuesday’s top matchup before the madness begins. 

I’ll see you on the road!

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by Evan Ren

EVAN REN: Why do coaches even bother?

If I were to ask one question of every high school coach in America – just one – it would be … why bother?

Yes … why bother?

While that may sound vague to some, it will quickly make sense to coaches and to those who have been paying attention.

Put simply, a once-thankless profession has sunk even lower than that (if that’s possible) – making me wonder if it’s worth the effort.

Continue reading “EVAN REN: Why do coaches even bother?” →

by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Stephenville girls get defensive in big home win over Brownwood; Jackets rally past Lions

STEPHENVILLE — Needing a win over rival Brownwood to lock up the No. 2 playoff seed out of District 6-4A, the Stephenville Honeybees turned up the defensive pressure Friday night on their home floor.

SHS limited the visiting Lady Lions to just six field goals and didn’t allow more than seven points in any quarter on their way to a thorough 38-24 victory.

The win, which avenged a 43-37 road loss to Brownwood on Jan. 17, kicked off a doubleheader sweep for Stephenville, which saw their boys rally from an early deficit to pull away for a 52-39 victory.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Goldthwaite sweeps vital doubleheader at San Saba

SAN SABA — It was a big night in the enemy camp for the Goldthwaite basketball teams on Friday, handing archrival San Saba a pair of convincing losses in a crucial District 29-2A varsity doubleheader.

The Goldthwaite Lady Eagles (28-3, 11-0) opened the evening with 59-42 win to clinch first place in the district standings. The GHS boys (17-9, 8-1) followed with a 56-40 win in the nightcap to pull into a first-place tie with Johnson City. 

For the Lady Dillos (27-5, 9-2) the loss ended their hopes of forcing a tie with Goldthwaite atop the district standings. The San Saba boys (17-13, 6-4) have now slipped from contention for the No. 2 seed, but retain sole possession of third place. 

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Lubbock-Cooper escapes AHS with fourth-quarter rally

Fans showed up to Eagle Gym on Friday night with the expectation of seeing a massive showdown for the District 4-5A boys basketball lead between Abilene High and Lubbock Cooper.

The Eagles entered the contest with a 9-1 record this year on their home court and claimed a 57-56 win at Lubbock Cooper during the first round of district play.

Lubbock Cooper returned the favor with a 61-57 win, tightening its grip on the district lead with three games to go as the Pirates search for their first district championship since 2003.

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Girls Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Feb. 1): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Feb. 1.

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

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by Brandon McAuliffe

UIL REALIGNMENT: Some basketball coaches caught by surprise with new districts

While most of the focus on the University Interscholastic League’s biennial realignment is centered on how it will impact the football landscape, it wasn’t just that one sport that was affected on Thursday.

The area basketball and volleyball landscape saw a seismic shift in its layout, too — all while the hoops programs are tied up in the thick of playoff races for this year.

One of the biggest shocks came in the form District 4-5A with Abilene High, Cooper and Wylie.

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by Zach Duncan, Special to Big Country Preps

FEATURE: Jim Ned girls propelled by a mix of veterans and youth

Jim Ned lost to eventual 3A state champion Holliday in last year’s regional finals.  

The Lady Indians brought back starting guards Riley Grohman, Lexi Wishert and Gracee Cooley among seven returning lettermen.  

They’ve helped Jim Ned pick up where it left off in the 2023 playoffs. The Lady Indians are ranked No. 2 in the state with only a pair of losses to Class 4A No. 1 Glen Rose.  

An exciting postseason is expected in Taylor County. But longtime coach Hunter Cooley said the Lady Indians don’t draw on last year’s near-miss with state as a motivating factor.  

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Hawley boys take control of District 10-2A race with win at Cisco; No. 14 Lady Loboes roll

CISCO — Traveling to Cisco with a chance to take firm control of the District 10-2A boys race with a win, the Hawley Bearcats did exactly that Tuesday, riding a strong defensive effort and big third quarter to a 57-48 victory and two-game lead in the loss column over both Cisco and Albany with three games to play.

Hawley, which limited Cisco to just one first-quarter point and led 20-13 at halftime, outscored the Loboes 23-11 in the third quarter and increased its lead to a game-high 23 points in the fourth before holding off a furious Cisco rally late.

The victory completed a season sweep of Cisco for the Hawley boys, who secured a split of Tuesday’s doubleheader after the 14th-ranked Lady Loboes doubled up the Lady Cats 64-32 in the girls game.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Comanche forces second-place tie in District 8-3A with win over Eastland

COMANCHE — With high-flying, high-scoring Eastland coming to town on Tuesday, the 12th-ranked Comanche Maidens never even considered slowing tempo or limiting possessions. 

They simply did what they always do — keeping their foot on the gas pedal to hand the Lady Mavs a 79-62 loss at the Comanche ISD Special Events Center. 

J’Lee Salinas scored 22 points and Kinsey Glasgow added 21 more to pace the Maidens (27-3, 10-2 District 8-3A) who have forced a second-place tie with Eastland in the league race.  

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by Brandon McAuliffe

GAME STORY: Monterey sweeps Cooper, jeopardizing Coogs’ playoff hopes; girls eliminated

The Cooper boys basketball team entered Tuesday night’s game against Lubbock Monterey at Cougar Gym knowing that it had its back against the wall in the hunt for one of the four playoff berths out of District 4-5A.

After a 50-40 loss, the Cougars’ playoff hopes are now in dire straits as CHS will need to win its final four games to have a shot at the postseason.

First-year coach Michael Bacon knows how tough the challenge is ahead of his squad.

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by Evan Ren

BIG COUNTRY PREPS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Eula’s Clayton Gray claims this week’s top spot

The 15th-ranked Eula Pirates (22-3) needed sweep of Baird and Cross Plains to finish the first half of district play at 5-0 and they did just that with the help of our Big Country Preps Player of the Week. 

Senior forward Clayton Gray posted big numbers in both contests, beginning with a double-double of 32 points and 14 boards in the Baird win. 

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by Evan Ren

THIS WEEK IN GIRLS BASKETBALL: Top-tier matchups last week and this week

We’re nearly in the home stretch for girls basketball and soon, we’ll be combing over this year’s pairings and deciding who has a shot at the state tournament and who doesn’t. 

Last week brought its share of excitement around the area, as will this week. Below you’ll find some of the top matchups from next Tuesday and Friday, along with a quick recap of last week’s top games. 

So dive in and let’s get going. I’ll see you on the road!

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by Daniel Youngblood

GAME STORY: Abilene High girls gut out big home win over Lubbock High; boys cruise past Westerners

Entering Friday with just a one-game lead on crosstown rival Cooper after the Lady Cougars upset Wylie on Tuesday, the Abilene High girls basketball team needed to protect its home court against Lubbock High to maintain a comfortable hold on District 4-5A’s fourth playoff spot.

Led by junior guard Myra Thomas and senior forward Samara Padgitt, the Lady Eagles did just that, fending off a spirited effort from the Lady Westerners to secure a 66-61 win at Eagle Gym.

Thomas scored a game-high 17 points, while Padgitt came off the bench to provide 15 points — 13 in the second half — to kick off a doubleheader sweep for AHS, which saw its boys cruise to 54-21 win Friday’s late game.

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by Evan Ren

GAME STORY: Roscoe, Miles split difficult doubleheader with back-to-back thrillers

ROSCOE — The Roscoe boys and girls basketball teams entered Friday’s doubleheader with Miles in the thick of their respective District 8-2A title races. And both needed to earn wins to solidify their positions heading into the stretch run. 

Miles, however, didn’t arrive in a cooperative mood —defeating Roscoe 49-44 in an intense girls game before falling 49-46 in another nail-biter on the boys’ side.

With its win in the girls game, Miles (21-7, 6-1) retained a piece of first place in District 8-2A (tied with Coleman), while pushing Roscoe (16-12, 4-3) to two games behind the lead in third place.  With their win in the nightcap, the Roscoe boys (14-11, 5-0) took sole possession of first place in the league race with five games to play, while dropping Miles (20-9, 4-1) to second.

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by Evan Ren

Big Country Girls Basketball Statistical Leaders (through Jan. 25): Scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, FT Pct., pass deflections and blocks

Below are the current season statistical leaders for Big Country girls basketball through Jan. 25.

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

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