FORT WORTH — Dynamic juniors Drew Guy and Khizer Salmon poured in 23 and 21 points, respectively, as the Episcopal School of Dallas boys captured the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) 3A basketball championship with a thrilling 61-55 overtime victory over Fort Worth Country Day in a matchup played at Trinity Valley High School.
ESD led by as many as 14 points in the first half and never trailed until Country Day’s Reed Haven sank one of two free throws, leaving ESD with a 53-52 deficit with 32 seconds remaining in regulation.
Sophomore Asher Lear swished a long-range three-pointer with 8.9 seconds left for a 55-53 Eagles’ lead. Haven then answered for Country Day with a driving layup at the buzzer to send the game to a four-minute overtime.
Guy gave ESD the lead with a basket and sank three of four from the charity stripe, and Salmon added another free throw as ESD outscored Country Day 6-0 in the overtime period.
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“We were able to get off to a fast start,” ESD coach Corey Henderson said. “We got a good lead, but give credit to Country Day for coming back. We say all the time basketball is a game of making runs, and this one was just that.”
ESD began each of the first and second quarters on 8-0 runs that built a 23-9 cushion. However, Country Day used a 15-4 burst to end the second quarter, cutting ESD’s advantage to 27-24 at halftime.
A 10-3 ESD start to the third quarter stretched its lead to 10, but Country Day chipped away at that margin the remainder of regulation.
The win was sweet for ESD and Henderson, avenging a 58-50 loss in last year’s title game to Austin St. Andrew’s.
“Much happier ending this year,” a smiling Henderson said. “This time we did it.”
ESD, No. 5 in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) TAPPS 5A/SPC3A final rankings on February 9th, cruised past St. Andrew’s 64-40 in this year’s quarterfinals as Salmon had a team-high 19 with Lear nailing five 3-pointers and totaling 18. Guy chipped in with 13. The Eagles then rolled past The Woodlands-John Cooper 60-25 in the semifinals, keyed by Guy’s game-high 24 points.
Top-seeded ESD (22-10) won its fourth overall SPC boys hoops crown, and the first since the Eagles’ 2008-10 3-peat. Henderson, who just completed his 19th season leading the ESD boys basketball program, was also the head coach for that remarkable run.
Fort Worth Country Day (23-9), ranked eighth in the aforementioned poll, was led by Haven with a team-high 19; Canaan Factor added 15 and Jack Wegman tallied 13 for Country Day, which won their lone SPC title in 2001. Wegman had canned six 3-pointers en route to a game-high 26 in Country Day’s 63-49 semifinal win over Arlington Oakridge. Country Day had ousted Fort Worth Trinity Valley 43-32 in the quarterfinal round.
ESD girls cling to victory for back-to-back titles
FORT WORTH — It’s a repeat for the Episcopal School of Dallas girls.
Reigning champion ESD successfully defended its Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) 3A girls basketball championship with a hard-earned 36-34 victory over The Woodlands-John Cooper at Trinity Valley High School.
Overcoming a 27-20 deficit midway through the third period, ESD found some offense and used a stifling defense, outscoring Cooper 16-3 the remainder of the quarter until less than a minute remained in the contest.
“Stay calm,” ESD head coach Devin Darnell said in his message to the players when trailing by seven in the first half. “The surge just before halftime gave us momentum going into halftime,” added Darnell, whose team closed with five straight points to trail just 27-25 at intermission.
Sophomore Nahla Whittier’s two free throws to start the fourth period knotted the game at 27-27. Reynolds gave ESD the lead with a basket; however, Jordan Sheirr answered with a 3-pointer that left ESD down one.
ESD then used a 7-0 run to gain control. After an Indy Messett tying free throw, sophomore Britt Reynolds made consecutive shots before senior Tatum Reynolds — Britt’s older sister — knocked down a jumper with 57 seconds remaining to give the Eagles a 36-30 advantage, their largest lead of the contest.
Cooper’s Sydney Mullins answered with a pair of baskets to narrow ESD’s lead to two with 37 ticks left.
ESD managed to hang on as a close-range Cooper shot to send the game to overtime rimmed out, and the Eagles rushed the court in celebration.
Whittier, who finished with a game-high 14 points, kept ESD close, especially in the first half.
“Nahla did a fantastic job out there,” Darnell said. “She runs the offense, triggers the fast break, and plays great defense.”
“Attack the basket,” said Whittier, who was adept at dribble penetration and drawing fouls throughout the game, sinking eight of 10 free throws in the victory. “Just a great game. Awesome feeling to win.”
ESD captured its first-ever SPC title last year with a 39-33 triumph over Fort Worth Country Day.
Darnell said this one is “special because of the repeat”.
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