TEXAS INVITATIONAL: Duncanville Girls Make It Three Straight; DeSoto Boys Win in Rout
Desoto's Terry Maston scores on a breakaway dunk during the second half against Fort Bend Bush. Maston, a 6-8 senior post, was named the boys division most valuable player.
The word “Pantherette” officially became part of the Pasadena, Texas, lexicon on Saturday.
But the letter to remember when it comes to the McDonald’s Invitational Basketball Tournament is “D.”
“D” as in Duncanville. “D” as in DeSoto.
The Duncanville Pantherettes won their third consecutive Texas Invitational girls championship on Saturday, cashing in a timely, fourth-quarter scoring burst from senior Tasia Foman for a 56-50 victory over Manvel in the title game at Phillips Field House.
The Pantherettes, who trailed by as many as 14 points in the second quarter, extended their three-year Texas Invitational winning streak to 15 games.
While the girls title game was closer than many expected, the boys title game on Saturday night was a bigger blowout than most anticipated. DeSoto won the title for the second time in four years with a 54-31 rout of Fort Bend Bush.
Senior post Terry Maston, named the tournament’s outstanding player, led the way for the Eagles with 18 points, all in the first three quarters. Senior guard Takedrick Brown added 13 points, also the result of three quarters of play.
Of the past eight Texas Invitational title handed out in Division 1 boys and girls competition, either Duncanville or DeSoto has claimed six of them. Duncanville swept the boys and girls titles last year.
Of Duncanville’s 15 straight victories the past three years, the contest with Manvel was, by far, the tightest.
Manvel led all the way until the final two minutes of the third quarter when the Pantherettes tied the game and then took the lead on a pair of buckets by Ariel Atkins. In the fourth quarter, Duncanville led 43-42 – exactly the point where Foman went to work. She hit a pair of three-pointers within a span of three minutes, then scored on a lay-up to give her team a 53-48 edge.
The Duncanville lead was four points with 47 seconds left when a critical call helped ice the game for the Pantherettes. Manvel’s Jonee Jones drove toward the baseline and whipped a pass to Brianna Turner, who scored. But Jones was called for a charging foul and the basket was wiped out.
Foman contributed a free throw and a defensive rebound in the final seconds to help keep Manvel at bay.
Foman scored 19 points in the contest, 10 coming in the fourth quarter. Atkins also pumped in 19.
Rangie Bessard led Manvel with 18 points while Turner scored 17.
DeSoto raced to a 20-7 first-quarter lead on Bush and stretched it to 37-15 at halftime. Brandon Jones led Bush with 23 points.
Among Pasadena ISD schools, South Houston’s boys fared best. The Trojans won three in row, advancing to the semifinals of the Division 2 Gold Bracket before losing their final two games.
The Sam Rayburn boys also went 3-2 in the tournament. The Texans won twice on Saturday to finish as consolation winners in the Division 2 Silver Bracket.
Memorial was the only girls team to win two games in the tournament. Both came on Saturday, and that was enough to earn the Lady Mavericks the championship of the Division 2 Consolation Bracket.
GIRLS TITLE GAME: Duncanville 56, Manvel 50
Manvel's Brianna Turner drives inside against Duncanville's Tiara Davenport.
Duncanville's Ariel Atkins concentrates on controlling the ball as she penetrates the Lady Mavericks' press.
Manvel's Rangie Bessard gets off a shot as Duncanville's defense closes in.
Atkins drives into the heart of the Manvel defense.
Manvel's Ariana Sanders zeroes in on Duncanville's Tasia Foman as she brings the ball across the timeline.
Duncanville guard Keyanna Smith huffs and puffs as she looks inside.
BOYS TITLE GAME: DeSoto 54, Fort Bend Bush 31
DeSoto's Terry Maston breaks up a lay-up attempt by Fort Bend Bush's Brandon Jones.
Bush's Keith Blakemore (12) and teammate Charles Grace (23) watch a rebound fall into the hands of the Eagles.
Bush's Edin Ewing takes a rebound away from the prying hands of DeSoto's Marques Bolden (22).
Bush guard Brendon Ganaway works the ball against DeSoto's Leon Sneed.
DeSoto's Julian Miranda looks for a pass inside.
Desoto's Terry Maston receives the Scott Talton Award, presented to the Texas Invitational MVP, from Vicki Talton, the widow of Scott Talton, and Scott Talton Jr. Talton won 500 games during his coaching tenure at Dobie and was a driving force behind the formation of the Texas Invitational.
CHAMPIONSHIP PHOTO ALBUM
