IN FOCUS: Duncanville knocks off North Shore in Instant Classic; photo gallery
By Miracle Bassey
It was an extremely physical and fast-paced match at Robinson High School on Friday, February 24th for the TAPPS 5A Girls State Championship match-up. The Liberty Christian Lady Warriors fought hard and set an early tone on the court as they posted a 46-34 victory over Houston Second Baptist to win the state title.
In the first half of the game, the Lady Warriors were the first to put points on the board. Not long after, though, the Second Baptist Lady Eagles pulled ahead to get their own lead in the game. From there, both teams moved swiftly on the hardwood as they fought to be the one to strike most often. It wasn't long until the Lady Warriors pulled ahead and set the tempo unwilling to look back. The offense delivered bucket after bucket while they pulled away and the defense was able to continue to fend off Second Baptist's attempts to score as the Lady Warriors led 24-14 headed into halftime.
Coming out of halftime lead by Emma Kay Martin, Marisa Martin, Lauren Ulrich, and the rest of the team, the Lady Warriors fought through adversity. With an electric atmosphere and the Liberty Christian fans already on their feet to cheer the Lady Warriors to victory. Through the third period, Liberty Christian's defense continued to hold strong against Second Baptist leaving room for the Lady Warrior offense to continue to pull away.
Late in the third period, Emma Kay Martin was pulled out after an injury on the court giving Second Baptist the opportunity to do whatever it took to play catchup on the court. The Lady Eagles were able to narrow Liberty Christian's lead a bit, but the Lady Warriors continued to play strong. As Jazzy Powell fouled out, Second Baptist narrowed Liberty Christian's lead down to only 10 points.
With the addition of junior Madison Gee on the court, the Liberty Christian Lady Warriors found continued energy on the court. Despite Second Baptist's continued attempt at a comeback, Liberty Christian never faltered. With the ability to finish strong on the court, Liberty Christian pushed through to the final buzzer in order cap their season with a victory!
The Dallas Christian School Lady Chargers (22-8) have done it again! For the second consecutive year, the Lady Chargers capped their season with a state title. The team gave everything they had and the hard work more than paid off on Friday, February 24th at Robinson High School in Waco, Texas as they routed Geneva School of Boerne (28-6) for the TAPPS 4A Girls Basketball State Title by a score of 41-27.
If you would have told either of the coaches before the game that only 26 points total would have been scored in the entire first half of the game, neither would have believed you. With two teams that have a knack for not only being physical on the court, but consistent in scoring, fans across the state probably assumed there would be much more scoring from both teams right out of the gate. Through the first two periods, fans witnessed a back-and-forth defensive battle between the Chargers and the Eagles.
After regrouping at halftime, both teams came out ready to set a tone. The Lady Chargers got right to work and instantly began extending their lead without taking a single moment to look back. As Maddie Perkins, Kennedy Chappell, Jackie Schlegel, and the rest of the Lady Chargers continued to set the tone for the rest of the game; Perkins finished just two points away from 1,000 career points.
Dedicated to the game and each other, both teams have everything to be proud of after finishing their seasons in the TAPPS State Title game.
As basketball teams around the state prepare for the state tournament, one of the Dallas-Fort Worth area teams who has shown dedication to excellence on and off the court this season is the Trinity Christian Academy - Addison Trojans. The team is preparing to enter the TAPPS State Semifinals on Thursday after posting a great schedule already this year. VYPE DFW takes a dive into the team and what fans can expect moving forward.
Last season, the Trojans had a less-than-ideal season as they finished third in their district standings and had an early exit from the playoffs. Despite the season ending early in the playoffs, the Trojans still had a season that fans could be proud of as they built, refreshed, and learned to overcome challenges. With victories over the likes of Fort Worth Christian, Bishop Dunne, Commerce, and more during preseason play followed by victories over Parish Episcopal, John Paul II, and more during regular season, the Trojans were able to begin building what would be a legendary season next season... the 2022-23 season.
The scorers, led by Blake Muschalek, for Trinity Christian Academy have been making a point to set the tone early in each game this season. Beginning in preseason play, the Trojans were able to defeat Plano's Coram Deo Academy, Fort Worth Nolan Catholic, Argyle Liberty Christian, and more before opening district play. In district, the team posted a 5-5 schedule to finish in the 4th place spot in their standings.
Some might argue that their district record shows struggle through the regular season. Others, though, would attest to the fact that it only proves that the Trojans are battle-tested and prepared for any team- no matter how good- in the playoffs. After finishing the regular season, the Trojans got right to work to to prepare for the road to the state tournament. Ending the seasons of Houston's Village (61-32) and Antonian Prep in a hard-fought 57-54 matchup, the Trojans have not only proved their dedication, but they have also shown the way they roll through road blocks while learning from adversity.
With a fire in their hearts and the mentality to prove any nay-sayer wrong, the Trojans will look to have a strong game against Plano's Prestonwood Christian Academy- a team they have already faced twice this season. In the regular season, the Trojans lost both meetings (73-46, 66-48). Continually learning and improving, though, the Trojans can be expected to learn from their previous meetings in the regular season. Knowing the weaknesses and plans that Prestonwood has on the court, fans can expect the Trojans to play physical with a sense of preparedness and readiness.
The TAPPS State Semifinals matchup will be held at University High School in Waco, Texas on Friday, February 24th with an 8 p.m. tip-off time.
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