From the opening tip-off to the final buzzer, the Lancaster girls basketball team applied relentless full-court pressure.
Lancaster’s ferocious defense forced a plethora of turnovers, propelling the team to a 62-41 victory over Cedar Hill on Tuesday night.
Lancaster (18-5), playing at home, made five 3-pointers and forced more than 10 turnovers. Both District 11-6A teams ranked top 10 in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) state poll. Cedar Hill (20-7) entered the game ranked No. 9 in the TABC state poll, while Lancaster was ranked No. 10.
Junior guard Monique Phoenix led Lancaster with 13 points. With the win Lancaster is now on a five game winning streak.
Lancaster’s Arianna Davis, who finished with 11 points, helped spark a 22-4 run in the second quarter that put Cedar Hill on the ropes.
During the first half, Phoenix, who stands just 5-3, rushed to provide help defense and forced a turnover. Her intensity led to a heated moment when a Cedar Hill player angrily walked toward a group of Lancaster players before being restrained by her teammate and assessed a technical foul. Phoenix converted both technical free throws.
At the end of the second quarter, Lancaster’s McKenzie White, who scored nine points, hit consecutive 3-pointers off Cedar Hill turnovers. However, Cedar Hill outscored Lancaster 20-13 in the third quarter to start a comeback. Cedar Hill senior forward Rylan Jones, who had 15 points, lead the charge.
Phoenix maintained her defensive energy in the fourth quarter, recording two steals that led to fast-break layups. She scored six of her 13 points in the final period, aided by Davis, who added three points.
Lancaster limited Cedar Hill to four points in the fourth quarter—its lowest output in any period—to secure the win.
Top 10 girls hoops battle: Check out photos from Lancaster’s showdown with Cedar Hill
Colin Noble, Highland Park: Noble had 19 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Scots to a 86-46 victory over Carrollton RL Turner. Highland Park is now 8-0 in District 12-5A.
Antonio Luna, Haltom: Luna scored 37 points and recorded four steals in Haltom’s 78-60 loss to Arlington.
Jonas Brown, South Garland: Brown scored 28 points in South Garland’s 64-43 loss to Wylie East.
Terrell Jackson, Dallas Carter: The freshman scored 29 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead Carter to a 63-52 victory over Pinkston.
Jordan Lowery, Denton Guyer: Lowery scored 17 points and dished out five assists to lead Guyer to a 58-41 victory over Hebron.
Aiden Groce and Jeremy Nyakundi, Arlington Martin: Groce, a sophomore, scored 24 points, while Nyakundi, a junior, added 19 points in Arlington Martin’s 64-46 win over Arlington Lamar.
Jayla Joseph, Mansfield Summit: Joseph led Summit with 13 points in a 70-23 win over Arlington Seguin. She helped Summit up its winning streak to six games.
Wrigley Green and Kennedy Hafer, Argyle: Green led Argyle in scoring with 16 points and she added seven rebounds to help lead them to a 54-15 victory against Colleyville Heritage. Argyle is now 27-4 overall and 8-0 in district play. Hafer added 10 points.
Kaylei Thornton and Charlotte Cavin, Frisco Wakeland: Wakeland was lead by sophomores Charlotte Cavin (25 points) and Kaylei Thornton (19 points). Both Cavin and Thornton hit five 3-pointers, as the Wolverines hit 12 total on the night. Wakeland beat Newman Smith 66-39, which moved them to 10-0 in district play.
Adriana Robles, Keller Fossil Ridge: The senior point guard, who has signed with UTSA, scored 25 points to lead Keller Fossil Ridge to a 55-47 victory over Fort Worth Brewer.
Clara Paynter, Saint John Paul II: The senior forward, a West Point commit, scored 24 points, grabbed eight rebounds and recorded eight steals to lead Saint John Paul II to a 42-32 victory Bishop Lynch.
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