It’s amazing how fast the UIL Tournament moves once all the playoff spots are seeded. In just the last five days, two Frisco Girls teams have been eliminated, and a third narrowly escaped a huge upset. And as for the Boys UIL Bi-district, we’re still in a holding pattern, as there will be a one-game “play-in” to determine the fourth and final spot for postseason play.
District 9-5A Girls Basketball Area Round Preview
Frisco Liberty RedHawks (30-3, 16-0) vs. Carrollton Creekview (18-10, 9-5) – 2/27, 7:30 p.m. @ Plano West
In what could have been one of the biggest first round upsets in recent years, the Frisco Liberty Lady RedHawks held on against Lovejoy in the Bi-district round of the 2015 UIL Playoffs.
With both teams combining to score just 6 total points in the third quarter, and never more than 9 in any one quarter, Liberty survived despite having Majestie Robinson on the bench for parts of the game with an injury.
One thing is for sure about this Friday’s Area Round matchup against Carrollton Creekview: the RedHawks will need to score far more than their paltry 27 points should they want to remain in the postseason.
Creekview, District 11-5A’s third seeded team, dispensed of Rockwall-Heath 76-62, to advance to play Liberty. During that matchup, Creekview received double-digit scoring performances from four players, with Carissa Moddy (20 pts) and Raela Hudson (18 pts) leading the way.
Should be an interesting matchup, with Creekview riding the adrenaline of an upset, and Liberty narrowly avoiding one themselves.
District 9-5A Boys Play-In Game
Frisco Heritage (18-10, 9-7) vs. The Colony (18-14, 9-7) – 2/20, 7:00 PM @ R.L. Turner
Well, a three-way tie always presents a myriad of scenarios. With Heritage and The Colony each having beaten each other head-to-head once this season, a playoff berth hinges on the victor of this rubber match.
Heritage had to take down the very good (and second-seeded District 9-5A foe) Centennial Titans in a game that, despite being a regular season game, had all the feel of a playoff bout.
Down 31-33 entering the fourth quarter, the Coyotes got hot, outscoring the Titans 20-14. Wesley Franklin (18 pts) and Israel Agugua (12 pts) led all scorers, as the Coyotes’ playoff dreams live on.
The Colony Cougars had to scratch-and-claw to stave off elimination as well. Despite being outscored 33-20, TC had built a big enough lead to enable them to hold on for the one-point victory. The Cougars were led by Zack Giles (24 pts) and R.J. Pair (11 pts).
