Woods’ shot at buzzer lifts Hendrickson

Two of Mikayla Woods’ 27 points mattered a bit more than the other 25.

Woods, Hendrickson’s standout point guard, swished a jump shot at the buzzer to lift the Hawks to a 60-59 victory over Westwood on Tuesday night in a Class 6A girls basketball regional quarterfinal.

“I wanted the ball, and I knew it was going in when it left my hand,” Woods said. “It was just the perfect ending to the game.”

Hendrickson (31-6) will join fellow District 13-6A rival Pflugerville at the 6A, Region II tournament this weekend in Dallas. The Hawks will face Dallas Skyline at 6 p.m. Friday in a regional semifinal. Pflugerville will face Garland Sachse in the other regional semi.

“Mikayla just competes; she is a fighter and never quits,” said Hendrickson coach Norma Sierra, whose team recorded its 12th straight victory. “And her energy helps fuel the entire team; they all play harder as a unit.”

Kailey Lacy had 13 points for Hendrickson, and Bryana Hunter had nine points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks. Allyah Beaty led the Warriors (26-10) with 18 points, and Makayla Coy added 13.

Converse Judson 54, Westlake 41: A 14-4 run that lasted the entirety of the third quarter propelled Converse Judson (32-4) past Westlake in a regional quarterfinal at Hays High.

The Chaparrals (29-8) led 28-21 at halftime, boosted by 11 points by sophomore guard Pesley Bennett, but they didn’t score a second-half basket until the final minute of the third quarter.

Desiree Lewis and Tiffany McGarity combined to score 32 points for Judson. Bennett finished with 17 points.

— Arabdho Majumder, AA-S correspondent

Cedar Park 58, Magnolia West 31: Cedar Park advanced to a girls regional tournament for the first time in school history, topping Magnolia West as Nicole Leff, Shukla and Alex Maresca combined to score 41 points.

The Timberwolves (30-7) jumped to a 28-13 halftime lead at Flatonia High, and they limited Magnola West to eight points or fewer in three quarters.

Cedar Park will face Crosby on Friday in a regional semifinal.

Marble Falls 62, Austin High 45: Mya McMillian, a 6-foot-3 senior who has signed with Liberty, scored 26 points as Marble Falls (27-10) won a Class 5A regional quarterfinal.

Rylie Ulbricht and Aubree Adams combined to score 21 points for the host Mustangs, who led 50-35 after three quarters.

Mia Heide, a 6-3 post who signed with Tulane, led the Maroons (298) with 13 points. Senior guard Ellen Hagen added 11 points.

Liberty Hill 73, Navasota 38: Texas Longhorns signee Sedona Prince, a 6-7 post, scored 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as Liberty Hill qualified for another regional tournament.

The Panthers (33-3), the Class 4A state runner-up last season, will face Wheatley on Friday in a regional semifinal.

Kandyn Faurie added 21 points for Liberty Hill.

Lago Vista 35, Poth 27: Lago Vista held Poth to two points in the final quarter, helping the Vikings rally for a victory in a Class 3A regional quarterfinal at Hays High.

Senior guard Alex Mancilla scored 10 points for Lago Vista, which trailed 25-23 entering the final quarter. Sophomore guard Mallory Webb added nine points for the Vikings (19-9), and her teammate Grace Standiford, a 5-11 junior, piled up 14 rebounds and 10 blocks.

LBJ didn’t have to look far to find its next varsity football coach.

Jahmal Fenner was hired Wednesday to replace Andrew Jackson, who died Dec. 12 after battling esophageal cancer. Fenner spent much of last season helping to lead the Jaguars while Jackson underwent treatment.

The Jaguars offensive coordinator when the team kicked off the season, Fenner became interim coach in the wake of Jackson’s death. LBJ posted a 7-5 record in 2017, losing to Dripping Springs 59-29 in a Class 5A, Division I bi-district playoff.

An Austin native, Fenner graduated from Reagan High in 2001. He played cornerback for the Raiders while Jackson coached the team. Fenner also played basketball and baseball in high school and was named Reagan’s athlete of the year as a junior and senior.

During Fenner’s last three high school football seasons, Reagan piled up 24 victories.

Fenner graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso and played cornerback for the Miners. After graduation, he played in the Arena Football League for Amarillo and later was defensive coordinator for the Oklahoma City Bombers.

Jackson coached LBJ for the past five seasons, leading the Jaguars to a 39-20 record and playoff berths in each of the past four years. His best season came in 2014, when the Jaguars were 11-3 and advanced to a Class 5A, Division I state quarterfinal.

With Fenner’s hiring, two Austin district high schools — Anderson and McCallum — continue to search for new football coaches. Just last week, Charles Taylor left McCallum to become the coach at Pflugerville after leading the Knights to a Class 5A, Division II state semifinal last season.

Other area schools also seeking coaches are Hays, Lehman and Giddings.