Hardin-Jefferson 49, Argyle 42
The thorn that has been in Hardin-Jefferson’s side has been removed.
The Lady Hawks used a 15-4 run in the second half and throughout the third quarter which proved huge for Hardin-Jefferson in a 49-42 victory over Argyle.
“That’s when I wished we could sat and watched it,” Hardin-Jefferson head coach Mike Fogo said. “It was fun playing and coaching it. Great respect for Chance [Westmoreland] and his crew. Everyone had to work on both ends. It was a fun game to be a part of.”
“Honestly, it went back to last year,” Ashlon Jackson said, who finished with a game-high 26 points. “My freshman year, it was the same look and every practice, offensively, we work on the last minute of the game. We executed but that’s a lesson from everything that we’ve learned from.”
Following a pair of free throws from Caroline Lyles, who finished with six points with foul trouble early, Jackson converted the old-fashioned three-point play to cut the deficit down to seven. Jada Pleasant and Chandler Preston-Carter each had baskets of their own to put the Lady Hawks down by three.
The defense also was the stepping stone for a key push, forcing four turnovers and scoring nine points from the extra possessions.
Following a pair of free throws from Molly Beavers, Jackson, the only Texas player to be named to the McDonald’s All-American Game, tied the game with the layup. Pleasant gave the Lady Hawks the lead at the :55 mark.
Argyle did not let up as they took the lead back with a Madi Lumsden three at the 3:34 mark, but the Lady Hawks closed the deal with Jackson putting on the cape for the big win.
“We just settled in,” Fogo said. “The Dome gets you, the nerves, you kind of play slow. Having an upperclassmen, leadership just settled in and do what we’ve done all year and that was get out in transition and get and create some turnovers.”
Brownsboro 60, Fredericksburg 41
The interior was key for Brownsboro in a key way, scoring 32 points in the paint and the defense closing out the program’s first state semifinal victory and punching a ticket to the state title game, winning 60-41 over Fredericksburg.
“It’s our seventh trip and we finally won a game and it means the world to us,” Brownsboro head coach Jeremy Durham said.
Fredericksburg, which finished with 28 percent shooting from the field, didn’t have bad looks from shooting but it was just one of those nights form the Lady Billies
“I told them to shoo the ball,” Fredericksburg head coach Carrie Grona said. “We go three-for-22 from three-point land. We are going to keep shooting. We need to drive more and get some fouls. I was telling them is to attack the basket and attack 15 [Mekhayla Moore] and try to get to the free throw line.
Defensive boards also were imperative for the Bearettes, which outrebounded Fredericksburg, 26-15, defensively and gave Brownsboro extra opportunities to extend their lead.
Fredericksburg closed the lead entering the fourth quarter to as low as three points after a pair of free throws from sophomore post Lauren Danz, who finished with a team high of 10 points on the night.
Brownsboro finished the game on a 17-6 run with the help of Mekhayla Moore, who finished with 15 points.
