Hurricanes’ Griggs puts on dazzling show
Sophomore standout pours in 44 points in matchup of two of state’s top teams
MISSOURI CITY — A few fans started to file out of the packed Hightower gym with 2 minutes left and the Hurricanes up double digits.
Coach Stephen Woods wasn’t convinced the game was over.
He still was coaching up his players, shaking his head — and letting the bench know it was only a six-possession game.
Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson — their celebrity guest in the front row — didn’t think it was over either. Or at least, like most of the people lucky enough to make it in, he wasn’t ready for it to end.
Sophomore Bryce Griggs poured in 44 points, and the Hurricanes, No. 3 in the state in Class 5A, rolled 80-64 over No. 2 Shadow Creek on Tuesday to pull within a half-game of the District 24-5A-leading Sharks.
“They want to see the show, so I gave it to them, and that’s what we did (Tuesday),” Griggs said with a grin. “I just appreciate everybody coming out, and of course Deshaun Watson — he’s a great player.”
Watson stayed to congratulate Griggs afterward — and offer some sage advice.
“Great players come to support great players, and he told me I have a pro game, so keep working, keep God first, and it’s going to be great later,” said Griggs, who already has multiple offers, including Kansas.
The win pushed Hightower to 26-5, 13-1. Shadow Creek slipped to 24-3, 14-1.
And if both win out, there’s a chance they could meet again in an epic tiebreaker for playoff seeding.
“This is huge,” Woods said. “One of our goals this year is to be district champs. In order to do that, you have to go through Shadow Creek. They were district champs last year. And they beat us the first time, so we knew, in order to have any chance of accomplishing our short-term goal, we had to beat them.”
Shadow Creek won 86-74 on Jan. 10 in its gym.
In the rematch, the Hurricanes jumped out 13-6, then pushed the lead to 23-6 on a 10-0 run to end the first quarter and start the second with Griggs supplying all 10 points. He started with consecutive reverse layups, turning the second into a three-point play, then drained a baseline jumper and a 3-pointer.
The 6-2 point guard also hit a step-back 3 in the first quarter that Rockets guard James Harden would have appreciated, and added a side-step 3 in the third — among many other highlight-worthy plays.
He finished with 44 on 16-of-30 shooting. He hit 10 of 14 shots in the second half and added five rebounds and two steals.
“He’s very special — and when I say very special, I mean very special — and he’s only getting better,” Woods said. “And what makes him so special and so good is his work ethic.
“If he could, he would live in this gym.”
Hightower led by as many as 20, 29-9, in the second quarter, and 38-27 at halftime.
Shadow Creek chipped away and pulled within five, 41-36, with 4:44 left in the third. Then Griggs took over again.
“We played more defense and hit shots,” Griggs said. “We didn’t have legs the first game, and (Tuesday) we had legs.”
Will Young led the Sharks with 19 points but didn’t score in the fourth. Markel James added 11 for Hightower.
“Defensive rebounding — that was the key,” Woods said.
“(Shadow Creek) does a great job of pushing the ball in transition, so we tried to limit their easy baskets, and in the half-court, try to make them an outside-shooting team, and box out and rebound.”