Lobos weather Hurricanes
Perkins scores 19 as team earns berth in regional quarterfinals
The playoffs don’t come around every year for Langham Creek, which is locked into a loaded 10team district.
The Lobos are making the most of their first trip in nine years.
Briley Perkins led four Lobos in double figures with 19 points, and they jumped on Hightower early and didn’t let up in a 67-53 victory in the area round of the Class 6A Region III playoffs Thursday night at Don Coleman Coliseum.
“It’s been a long time,” Langham Creek coach Annette Steward said. “We have a tough district, so just getting out of district is an accomplishment, and so we’re excited that we’re competing in the playoffs.”
The Lobos (27-7), who finished second in District 17-6A, will face Seven Lakes or Cy-Fair in the regional quarterfinals.
State-ranked Hightower (27-6) ends its season with a disappointing secondround exit.
The two teams met in November in the Fort Bend tournament championship game, with the Lobos pulling out a 56-55 win in a back-and-forth contest that was close throughout the 32 minutes.
The rematch was only tight for the first few minutes.
Langham Creek jumped out 6-2, but Jasmine Harvey’s 3-pointer gave the Hurricanes a 7-6 advantage. They never led again.
Dezeree’ White answered with a runner off the glass, igniting an 11-2 stretch that pushed the Lobos’ advantage to 17-9 with 1:24 left in the first quarter.
Then they opened the second quarter on an 11-0 run, featuring treys by Perkins, Dyani Robinson and Kayla Owens, to take a 29-14 lead.
“We came out ready to play,” Steward said. “It was exciting to see them so ready.”
Hightower used an 8-0 run to cut its deficit to 3323 at halftime but never pulled within single digits in the second half.
Langham Creek led by as many as 21 points at 6241 in the fourth quarter.
Hightower shot only 28.1 percent from the field (18-of-64) and 54.2 percent at the free-throw line (13of-24).
“Defense has been our key all year long,” Steward said.
The Lobos broke down Hightower’s defense with a wealth of players who can handle pressure and create shots.
All Hightower could do was foul, and the Lobos went 25-of-33 at the line (75.8 percent).
White tallied 14 points and nine rebounds, Robinson had 17 points, six boards and two steals, and the UCLA-bound Owens, who missed last season with a knee injury, did a little of everything. She supplied 10 points, nine rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks.
The Lobos finished fifth in the district standings last year without Owens, and with Perkins and Robinson leading the way as freshmen.
“We’ve grown up a little bit, and we knew this year was going to be special, getting Kayla back … so we expected big things,” Steward said. “I’m going to enjoy every moment.”
Langham Creek shot 42.2 percent (19-of-45) and outrebounded Hightower 40-39, making up for its 25 turnovers.
Destini Lombard and Treazure Mouton paced the Hurricanes with 12 points apiece.
“They’ve got a lot of kids who have talent. Their guards are really talented, can handle the ball, shoot well, and they have the big kid (Winnie Kuimi) inside,” Steward said. “So we knew what we had in front of us, and we just had to execute, slow them down a little bit and really play our game.”