With mere seconds on the clock and the Chaps leading by three points, a Brennan player heaved up the potential game-tying shot from the corner. Senior forward Tamia King rose up and rejected the attempt, putting an emphatic end to the game and maintaining the Chaparrals’ ever-strengthening perfect resume.
“We’re undefeated,” girls basketball head coach Vickie Benson said. “Its hard to get there and it’s harder to stay there, because everyone’s going to bring their best, and they’re gonna come out swinging.”
State No. 1-ranked varsity girls basketball (19-0) defeated San Antonio Brennan (15-4) on Friday night in a matchup of two Texas Association of Basketball Coaches’ top-25 6A teams, 52-49. The game came down to the wire, and numerous defensive stops in ultra high pressure moments secured the Chaparral’s third victory over a top-25 6A squad this season.
“We do it in practice every day, so it’s really just down to trusting our teammates,” King said.
The Bears went on a 10-0 run to kick off the game, finally halted by a successful 3-pointer from junior guard Molly Frazier. The Chaps didn’t summit that early deficit until the fourth quarter. From there, the contest never swung greater than 5 points in either direction.
“There were parts of the game where we were playing not to lose instead of playing to win,” Benson said. “And that fourth quarter, I just told them one more time ‘Stop playing not to lose, go play to win’ and I feel like we did.”
Throughout the evening, the Bears had multiple bodies across half court, consistently applying pressure, play-in and play-out. The Chaps scored numerous points in transition by breaking the press, made possible in part by extremely effective ball movement.
“[When you see the press you need to] focus on moving the ball,” King said.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Chaps took their first lead of the game via an inside shot from King. On their next possession, Frazier drilled a 3-pointer, altering the momentum of the game. After getting a stop, the Chaps had a long pass down the court and basket from junior guard Wynn Thorne, breaking the press and giving the Chaps a four point lead. Brennan drilled a three pointer with nine seconds remaining on the clock, bringing it back to a one point game.
With little time left on the clock, the Bears were forced to intentionally foul, bringing freshman guard Peyton Hensle to the line who nailed both shots making it a three point game with just five seconds left on the clock.
The Chaps will have a week to recover and analyze their mistakes before they hit the road to take on Akins. As they move into district play, King said their expectations will not waiver.
“We can be the team that we’re supposed to be.”
