District streak done: Eagles’ late 3-ball sinks Titans
Published 9:58 pm Tuesday, December 18, 2018
- Amaree Abram of Memorial powers up for a layup against Josh Guidry of Barbers Hill during the first half Tuesday at Barbers Hill. (I.C. Murrell/The News)
MONT BELVIEU — Ten months ago, Memorial began a state championship run by pulling away from Barbers Hill in the fourth quarter of a bi-district game in Channelview.
Barbers Hill was not going away that easily this time.
Mason Daniels nailed a three-point basket with 16 seconds left, and the 5A 19th-ranked Eagles stunned the 10th-ranked Titans 56-54 in Tuesday’s District 21-5A opener, ending a 26-game district winning streak for the reigning 5A champions.
FINAL: @bheaglebball 56, @PAMemorialBB 54 pic.twitter.com/5twv8E636g
— I.C. Murrell (@ICMurrellPB) December 19, 2018
“It was an awesome game,” Barbers Hill coach Chris Pennington said. “I knew my kids would be ready. When they [Titans] beat us, we played really well in that playoff game last year, but I knew it was going to be that same type of effort we were going to have to have tonight.”
The Eagles (15-3, 1-0 in 21-5A), who lost 73-54 last Feb. 19 to the Titans, had this rematch circled on their calendar.
“We’ve been looking forward to it since the beginning of the year,” said senior guard Max Armer, who had 14 points. “We came out and we were prepared, and we got it done.”
Now, they’ve won eight in a row.
Memorial (10-6, 0-1), which had won at least a share of the past two District 22-5A championships, lost in district play for the first time since Jan. 4, 2017, when Beaumont Central won in Port Arthur.
“I knew it was going to be a tough one coming in,” Memorial coach Alden Lewis said. “I told my kids to be prepared for that. We fought to the end.”
Final 10 seconds @PAMemorialBB @bheaglebball pic.twitter.com/kTLhoLMCHq
— I.C. Murrell (@ICMurrellPB) December 19, 2018
The Titans called timeout with 10 seconds left to set up for the final play. They swung the ball to Colton Mitchell at the right wing before he kicked it back to freshman Amaree Abram, who drove from the top of the key for a floater that would not fall as time expired.
“We were trying to draw up a play to get a good shot, but we went scrambling, and unfortunately it didn’t turn our way,” Lewis said.
Barbers Hill had the biggest lead twice, 45-36 at the end of the third quarter and 47-38 with 6:54 remaining in the game. Memorial clawed back by going to center Kenneth Lofton Jr., who drew fouls on back-to-back made layups and scored six of his 13 points off the bench (including a 7-for-9 free-throw shooting effort). He blocked a shot that led to a game-tying fast break that Jaden Conner finished with 1:50 to go.
Conner hit a free throw after missing the first to put Memorial up 54-53 with 35 seconds to go.
Josh Guidry led the Eagles with 15 points, shooting 7 for 9 at the foul line as well. Daniels had six.
Nate Clover and Abram each had 12 points for the Titans will host Vidor on Friday, while the Eagles have an off-date before hosting the Gulf Coast Classic.
•
I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews
About I.C. Murrell
I.C. Murrell was promoted to editor of The News, effective Oct. 14, 2019. He previously served as sports editor since August 2015 and has won or shared eight first-place awards from state newspaper associations and corporations. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, grew up mostly in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
More by I.C.
