Brown provides optimism for Wheatley
Star junior averaging 35.4 points for squad eyeing return to state
As soon as Telisha Brown sank her 14th 3-pointer that January night against Scarborough, Wheatley coach Dedreck Carr peeked at the national record book.
Brown had tallied 56 points on 21-of-27 shooting (78 percent), five rebounds, five assists and seven steals.
The only thing standing between those 14 3-pointers just being part of her lore and their being set in stone for all to see is the National Federation of State High School Associations.
According to the NFHS book, Brown’s 14 3-pointers would be the most from anyone in Texas in a girls basketball game. The total, achieved by six other girls, ranks third all-time nationally. The record is 17.
The process for getting a record performance included in the national book may not be known far and wide. The NFHS details it on its website, stating it has to be approved by the state association first — the University Interscholastic League in this case. The UIL then sends it to the NFHS to clear.
Carr has proper documentation and proof, including a picture of the stat book that night. The rest just takes patience.
“Then they take over from there,” Carr said. “I don’t know what the process is after that.”
At the very least, it’s indicative of the kind of season Brown is having. With 884 total points this season, she’s averaging 35.4 per game heading into the postseason this week.
It’s mostly out of necessity. Wheatley was one of Houston’s darlings last postseason, making it to the Class 4A state semifinals. It was a nice moment for Houston ISD, which has seen only one girls basketball state champion (Yates in 1983).
Last year’s Wheatley team had 12 seniors. This one is spurred by a junior who’s eclipsed 2,100 career points and is double- and tripleteamed for 47 feet on most nights.
Such is life in the middle of a youth movement.
“Her body is a little beat up and just fatigued right about this moment,” Carr said. “That’s been the rough part of it.”
But Carr said Brown always “answers the bell.”
Wheatley opens the playoffs against Brazosport on Tuesday. How Brown puts a cap on what could go down as one of the alltime best scoring campaigns in the area will be interesting.
Trotter, Crosby make it back
Michelle Trotter is probably savoring this playoff appearance a little more than others.
Like other district employees, the Crosby coach was in line to be laid off following Crosby ISD’s budget crisis. She was also the social studies curriculum coordinator.
She’d coached only half the season before the December layoffs, but by then a social studies teacher in the district resigned, and Trotter was offered the position and able to stay around.
She has Crosby in the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.
The first-round opponent? It’s a fierce rival in Barbers Hill, albeit a different-look Barbers Hill team with all-world Charli Collier having graduated last year.
A lot of girls basketball success flows between these two programs, making for an interesting first-round date.
Fabulous Five
No team in Houston has had to work harder than Madison.
The Marlins have only five players on the roster this season but were perfect in league play, going 14-0 to win District 23-5A. They have a familiar “Fab Five” nickname to go with their accomplishment.
Madison will likely get no tougher draw than first-round foe Shadow Creek on Monday.
Other story lines
• Morton Ranch made its way through a Katy ISD mini-tournament of sorts for the final playoff spot out of 19-6A. The Lady Mavs beat Tompkins and Cinco Ranch for a first-round meeting with Ridge Point. Both games went to overtime. The Cinco Ranch game took two overtime periods.
• Ridge Point will be led by guard Taylor Thomas, who recently reached 2,000 career points. Another guard, Spring’s Kaitlyn Davis, just reached 1,000 points, and the Lady Lions are playoffbound as District 16-6A champions.
• As of Sunday afternoon, three Cypress-Fairbanks ISD teams are in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Class 6A rankings: No. 4 Jersey Village, No. 12 Cypress Ranch and No. 13 Cypress Creek, a 2018 state semifinalist.
• Manvel, Hightower and Foster lead the way for Houston in the Class 5A rankings, and each is a member of District 24-5A.
• Beaumont United is 34-0 and was state-ranked No. 14 as of Sunday, relevant considering the Timberwolves are in Region III-6A.
• Alvin — led by sharpshooting Andreea Mancha — has back-toback playoff appearances for the first time since 2006-2007.
• Aldine has a tough first-round game against Klein Collins but extinguished one of the longer playoff droughts at 15 years.
• Aldine Davis opens the playoffs against Conroe without leading scorer Leeza De La Garza, who injured her anterior cruciate ligament against Westfield last week.