HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Willowridge girls upset Madison in playoffs; Elkins boys top Texas City for District 23-5A title.
Willowridge wasn’t supposed to mess with topseeded Madison, but coach Tiffany Collins knew it could.
She did it 20 years ago as an Eagles player.
The next generation followed her lead Tuesday, outhustling the District 245A champs in the first half and outshooting them in the second en route to a 4842 upset Tuesday at Butler Fieldhouse.
“We didn’t have anything to lose,” Collins said.
“We had to come out here and play (and) give it our all. We didn’t want this to be our last game, so we had to give 110 percent, beat them to every loose ball, outrebound them and stick with the game plan.”
The plan worked — and Collins beat Anthony Fields again.
The longtime Madison coach was at the helm when Collins won as a Willowridge player in the 1996-97 playoffs.
The Eagles (19-11) next face Beaumont Central in the Region III-5A area round.
Madison (23-7) led 6-2 early on two 3-pointers by Yumon Simien, but Willowridge battled back by beating it to the boards, taking a 10-9 lead into the second quarter on Kennethia Gilford’s putback.
The Eagles held a 28-22 rebound advantage and 1916 lead at halftime.
“If you keep grinding, you’ll finish out on top,” Collins said.
After grinding out a cold-shooting first half, the Eagles found their range in the second, weathering four leads changes in a tight third quarter, then taking control with a 9-0 run in the fourth.
Princess Alikpo hit a jumper, Janasia Cuney scored, Teavia Shock banked in a 3, and then Ayona Wilson stole an inbounds pass and went the length of the court for her first basket and a 40-32 lead.
“This is big,” Collins said. “Nobody expected us to be where we are.
“In preseason, we were picked sixth or seventh and we came out fourth, so we had something to prove.”
Cuney proved herself inside, finishing with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
“She’s our workhorse, and I tell her every night, ‘Try to get a double-double,’” Collins said. “‘If you work hard, you’re going to get your buckets, no matter where they come from, whether we feed you on the block or you get the rebound and go up.’” Alikpo added 16 points. “Princess is our Energizer bunny,” Collins said. “She is our point guard, (and) she makes it happen for us.”
Willowridge finished 19-of-56 from the field (33.9 percent).
Simien supplied 16 points for the Marlins, who converted only 15 of 57 field goals (26.3 percent).
Now they’re out early after going 16-0 in district.
“Second half, we probably didn’t hit one bucket —not one shot,” Fields said.
“(Willowridge) played well, but it’s tough to lose, no matter whether you’re first place or fourth place.
“At this stage of the game, it doesn’t matter. You either win or go home.”