5A BOYS AREA ROUND: Just like the first time: Titans knock off favorited Sharks in La Porte

Published 9:11 pm Friday, February 22, 2019

LA PORTE — Down 28-25 through three quarters and only one bucket scored in the third, Memorial coach Alden Lewis issued one simple challenge to his team:

“I need somebody to step up.”

He found a few to do that.

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The 5A eighth-ranked Titans got to the free throw line down the stretch and made 11 of 14 free throws in the final 2:48 and held ninth-ranked Shadow Creek scoreless for a 12-minute, 11-second stretch in the second half en route to a 46-36 victory Friday at La Porte High School.

Jaden Conner and Kenneth Washington helped Memorial take 46-36 win over Shadow Creek

Posted by I.C. Murrell on Friday, February 22, 2019

Memorial (26-7) beat Shadow Creek (26-6) in the area round of the UIL 5A playoffs for the second year in a row in the same venue on its way to a state championship, although the Sharks were favored this preseason to win Region III.

Led by Kenneth Lofton Jr.’s 16 points and 13 rebounds, the Titans will take on Houston Madison, a 58-49 winner over Friendswood on Friday.

“We have a gritty ballclub,” said Lewis, who was first assistant to Kenneth Coleman last season. “We have guys who stepped up to the challenge. The last two days were great practices, and these guys stepped up to the challenge, even though we had our hurdles, our bumps and bruises. They stayed the course, and they were able to prevail.”

Kenneth Washington sparked Memorial’s offense in the second quarter shooting 3 of 4 from three-point range in the second quarter for all of his nine points.

“Coach just told me, ‘You got the green light,’ so keep shooting,” Washington said. “That’s all I did before practice [Thursday] and shoot after practice to get ready for the game.”

The Sharks led 23-18 at halftime and held the Titans on a nearly 8-minute drought into the fourth quarter. But a 1-for-14 shooting spell from the floor would doom the third-year Alvin ISD program.

Jaden Conner made 8 of 11 free throws — 7 of 10 in the fourth quarter — and finished with 10 points and two steals for Memorial. Nate Clover added eight points and nine boards.

“We came out strong,” Conner said of the second half. “A lot of people doubted us. So, we wanted to prove everybody wrong. We’re trying to two-peat.”

Tyron Henry scored 13 points to lead Shadow Creek, and Tre Hatfield added six.

Memorial survived a 12-for-30 shooting performance in a turnover-filled contest and made 16 of 24 free throws. Shadow Creek went 11 for 47 from the floor and 8 for 14 at the line.

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.

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