NEW CHAPEL HILL -- Chapel Hill coach Robert Sampson wondered in the preseason if he had a district title-caliber team.

He no longer has to wonder.

No. 19 Chapel Hill dismantled Bullard 79-39 on Friday to clinch the District 16-3A championship.

Keith Minor's 18 points, seven rebounds, and three steals off the bench led Chapel Hill (21-7, 10-0), while Michael Harris contributed a double-double with 17 points and a game-high 10 boards as eight different Bulldogs scored.

Kevan Kennedy scored 10 points. D.J. Sammons and Kavondre Walker combined for 18 points. D.D. Mumphrey notched five assists and Julius Hill added a game-high four steals.

"It's an awesome thing," said Sampson, who is in his second year at Chapel Hill. "When I first got here, we lost a bunch of games. And then we get moved into this district with Spring Hill and Kilgore. So for us to win the district championship is a great feat. I think we surprised some people. I knew it was here, and I knew it was in the gym, if we could just get some discipline and play together as a team."

Chapel Hill dominated the stat lines. The Bulldogs held a 36-14 rebounding advantage, as well as 14-1 assists edge. Chapel Hill also recorded 14 steals compared to Bullard's six.

Sampson said the Wagstaff Tournament (Dec. 27-29) at Tyler Junior College as the moment the Bulldogs started rolling.

"We played three private schools, and it did wonders for us. I was nervous because I've never played in a tournament in the middle of district before. But at the Wagstaff, we came together."

Chapel Hill opened the game on a 16-2 run. Harris had six points and four rebounds in the opening frame.

The Bulldogs continued to control the game in the second. Hill got a steal and assisted a Sammons layup for a 31-14 lead. To end the first half, Minor blocked Landen Beckham's jump shot, grabbed the ball, and went coast-to-coast for the layup and 37-19 halftime lead.

Minor's lefty runner in the lane capped a 15-3 Chapel Hill charge for a 52-22 third-quarter lead. Bullard's Corbin Howard scored the last five points of the third quarter on a jumper and triple to bring the Panthers within 25 points, 54-29. But Chapel Hill led off the fourth on an 11-0 run and 65-29 lead.

Chapel Hill visits Kilgore on Tuesday, while Bullard (13-15, 4-5) hosts Henderson.

Four Bullard Players Reach Double Figures in 59-54 Victory

NEW CHAPEL HILL -- The Bullard Lady Panthers have already clinched the 16-3A district title. That doesn't mean their not hungry for more.

Led by a balanced scoring attack, Bullard defeated Chapel Hill 59-54 on Friday. This comes on the heels of the Lady Panthers' first district loss, a 51-41 decision to Kilgore on Tuesday.

Lexi Kirgen and Bridgette Taylor led Bullard (22-9, 10-1) with 15 points each, while Brittany Hinton scored 14 points and Maddy Slater added 10. Kirgen, a freshman, and Slater combined for 12 rebounds.

The win overshadowed a great performance by Chapel Hill (18-10, 6-5) guard D'Errica Campbell, who tallied a game-high 23 points and five rebounds. Teammate Shay Ross added 14 points, nine boards, and three blocks.

Down six points to open the fourth, Campbell sank a three-pointer before teammate Dai-ja Maddox hit a jumper to bring the Lady Bulldogs within one point, 46-45, at the 4:20 mark.

That's as close as Chapel Hill got.

When Bullard's Taylor was fouled on her dribble-drive layup, it turned into a three-point play, which capped a 7-0 run, and Bullard started to pull away with under a minute remaining.

Bullard hosts Henderson and Chapel Hill visits Kilgore in Tuesday's district finales.

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