Big Third Quarter Lifts Longview Girls Past Texas High For First Place In District 15-5A

LONGVIEW -- Beneath banners commemorating some of the best girls basketball teams in East Texas history, it was Texas High taking it to the storied Longview program through the first half of Tuesday's big District 15-5A game at Lobo Coliseum.

The Lady Lobos, the No. 19 team in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches' weekly Class 5A poll, needed a fast start in the second half to keep pace with the special teams in school history. They got it. And then some.

Trailing 35-26 at the intermission, Longview evened the score with a 9-0 run to start the third quarter and closed that frame on a separate 9-1 spree toward a 66-55 win. A victory which gave it sole possession of first place in the district and a 21-1 overall record.

"It was one of those things where we were more upset with ourselves because we missed a ton of free throws and weren't attacking the basket," Lady Lobos head coach Keith Cook said. "We really talked about that. I think they got it in their minds that we were going to attack the rim. Our defense got better, we rebounded a little better."

Longview (6-0 in district) shot 10-for-27 from the field in the first half, gave up possessions by way of 11 turnovers and connected on just 4 of 10 free throws. Meanwhile, Lady Tigers guard Channell Hayes spearheaded a productive offensive output for Texas High with 15 first half points.

By the end of the game, however, the Lady Lobos balanced out their stat lines. They shot 50 percent in the second half, committed just four turnovers and converted 12 of 16 opportunities from the charity stripe.

Longview's Ravan Chism walked away with a double-double, 14 points and 10 rebounds. Mikayla Smith lead the team in scoring with 17 points. Kiara Ross rounded out the Lady Lobos' double-digit scorers with 10 tallies.

"Kiara handled the ball well and hit a big three for us at one point," Keith Smith said. "Mikayla had a big second half for us. Halee Brewer had been struggling and she knocked down a couple of big shots. Yasmine Bradley. Just a lot of people contributed to this. It was a great team win."

It looked like Longview was picking up where it left off in the first half. The team missed two shots in a scrap down low with Texas High (14-5, 5-1), but Brewer outmuscled the traffic for a layup to open scoring in the second half.

The Lady Tigers missed on their first successful trip up the floor and Brewer drove down for another score to cut the deficit to 35-30.

Texas High turned the ball over. Mikayla Smith drew a foul, hit both free throws and then tied the game a few seconds later with an old fashioned 3-point play.

Hayes continued her strong performance en route to 23 points in the game, but versatile senior Jalissa Trotter became the Lady Tigers' go-to threat down the stretch on the way to 21 points.

Trotter chipped in four points of a 6-2 run to put Texas High back on top, 41-37.

Ross began the Lady Lobos' closing 9-1 run with a long-range jumper and 3:36 remaining in the period. Longview tied the game on Chism's steal and chunk to Mikayla Smith with the Lady Tigers in transition.

Trotter gave Texas High a final lead with a made free throw on the front end of a two-shot situation.

Ross hit a 3-pointer and Chandler Peoples beat the Lady Tigers a second time in transition in the final 95 seconds of the frame for a 46-42 advantage.

"The third quarter was a totally different team," Keith Smith said.

Longview entered the bonus with more than seven minutes to play in the fourth quarter and outscored Texas High, 20-13, through the final eight minutes.

The Lady Tigers, just one game behind the Lady Lobos with eight district games to come, will host Marshall at 7:15 p.m. Friday. Longview will visit Mt. Pleasant at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Tuesday's opponents will meet again Feb. 6 in Texarkana.

"We've got to go up there, so we really wanted to get this one," Keith Smith said. "I'm really proud of this group. I really am. They did a great job."

No. 19 Longview 66, Texas High 55

District 15-5A Game

At Lobo Coliseum, Longview

Texas High                  15      20       7    13   --   55
Longview                     14      12     20    20   --   66

Texas High (14-5, 5-1)-- Channell Hayes 23; Jalissa Trotter 21; Jessica Emerson 4; Grace Brooks 3; Kalyn Coleman 3; Trinity Briggs 1.
Longview (21-1, 6-0)-- Mikayla Smith 17; Ravan Chism 14; Kiara Ross 10; Halee Brewer 8; Yasmine Bradley 7; Chandler Peoples 4; Nyelan Powell 4; Aisja Gray 2.
THREE-POINT GOALS -- Texas High: Hayes (3), Coleman, Trotter. Longview: Chism, Ross, Smith.