There was plenty of basketball action going down for Frisco fans last week. The Texas Legends snapped their season-long 10-game losing streak, and one high school team made it to the regional finals—just one of four teams on the precipice of the 2013-2014 UIL Boys Basketball State Qualifier.
W Frisco Lone Star (26-6) Vs. Brownsboro (16-14)—57-40
The Lone Star Rangers made quick work of Brownsboro in the UIL Regional Semifinal game, taking a 20-point lead into halftime. The Bears rallied to outscore the Rangers 13-10 in the third quarter, but it was too little too late as Lone Star’s triumvirate of Zach Brown (13 pts), Jonathan Clay (13 pts) and Camden Craddock (13 pts) combined for nearly as much offense as Brownsboro received from their entire team.
L Frisco Lone Star (26-7) Vs. Dallas Madison (28-3)—44-72
The Dallas Madison Trojans were the second team from District 11-3A that the Lone Star Rangers had faced this postseason. In area, Lone Star pulled off a stunning last-second win over that district’s second-seeded Triple A Academy.
But with Madison, 11-3A’s undefeated champs, the Rangers would have to contend with a tighter defense as well as one of the state’s most prolific offenses. The Trojans average just under 60 points per game from their three key players alone—Admon Gilder (25.2 ppg, 6.5 reb/g), Jonathan Turner (18.4 ppg, 6.4 reb/g) and Cameron Bryant (12.3 ppg, 7.5 ast/g).
The Rangers defense managed to hold Gilder to “just” 18 points—truly no easy task. But Bryant’s 18 pts, coupled with Turner’s 16, proved too much for Lone Star to overcome as the Trojans’ stingy defense kept them from getting dialed-in on offense.
Early on it appeared as though an upset might be underway, as Lone Star exploded out of the gates to take a 15-13 lead after the first quarter. But the Trojans righted the ship and held a five point advantage at halftime. In the second half, Madison found their scoring groove, pounding the Rangers into submission by outscoring them 41-18 in the third and fourth quarters combined.
Cameron Gooden led the Rangers with 11 pts, Preston Schilling reached double-digits as well with 10, with Zach Brown and Jonathan Clay each scoring six points apiece.
The Lone Star Rangers have plenty to be proud of in a season that saw them reach unchartered postseason territory. Lone Star was the final Frisco ISD school standing in the 2013-2014 UIL Playoffs. The Rangers were one of just four 3A teams left, and return home as Regional Finalists with plenty to look forward to next season.
Texas Legends Skid Stops at 10
Even with St. Valentine’s Day in the mix, the Texas Legends received zero love in February. It was almost as if cupid was firing buckshot rather than arrows, with the Legends limping through the month producing a lousy 1-10 record.
The silver lining is that all it takes is one win to snap a skid, and that is exactly what they got as they took down a very good L.A. D-Fenders team, 121-103. Thanks to the outstanding efforts of two recently displaced Dallas Mavericks—Jae Crowder notched a triple-double with 23 pts, 18 rebs and 10 assists, and Bernard James knocked down 38 points with 18 rebounds for the double-double—the Legends were able to cruise to the easy 18-point win in front of their home crowd at The Dr. Pepper Arena.
So far so good for the Legends in the month of March, as they completed the two-game sweep of the D-Fenders thanks to a dominant OT performance that saw them outscore L.A. 16-5. P.J. Hairston led all scorers, as he netted 36 points off the bench. Jae Crowder recorded his second triple-double in as many games—dropping in 22 points with 10 assists and 14 boards. Shane Larkin made his presence felt, earning his first D-League double-double thanks to 22 points and 10 rebounds.
Upcoming Legends Games
Come on out to Dr. Pepper Arena this Wednesday night as the Legends look to stay hot against the Bakersfield Jam. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM. If you can’t make that game the Legends stay at home with the Iowa Energy paying a visit. That game is scheduled for a 7:00 PM start as well. Tickets are available at the box office, and all games are broadcast live via the Texas Legends‘ official YouTube Channel.
