Falcons shut down Vikings, roll to semis
Tompkins faced an undefeated team adept at scoring quickly and creating havoc with its defensive pressure.
The Falcons did not allow Dulles to do much of either Wednesday at the Merrell Center, and the result was a 55-40 victory in the Region III-6A quarterfinals.
Tompkins (19-3) will play in the regional semifinals for the second time, joining the 2016 team that accomplished the feat in its second varsity season. The Falcons face Shadow Creek in another battle of district champions, as the Sharks eliminated Atascocita 59-51.
First, Tompkins had to hand Dulles (24-1) its first loss. The Vikings defeated Katy 65-39 and Jersey Village 75-68 in their first two playoff rounds but struggled for offensive consistency against the Falcons.
Dulles led 17-11 early in the second quarter after Nya Threatt closed the first quarter with a 3-pointer and drove for a basket to start the next period.
But Tompkins held the Vikings without a field goal the rest of the half, using a 15-0 run to take a 26-18 halftime lead.
“I think we know they like to play really fast and they want us to play fast,” Tompkins senior MacKenzie Durnford said. “Our big thing against their defense was to play Tompkins basketball. We were pretty confident if we slowed it down, it was going to go our way. 15-3 (in the second quarter) is incredible. We couldn’t ask for more.”
Durnford and Crystal Smith both finished with 15 points to lead Tompkins, with Durnford matching Loghan Johnson’s teamleading eight rebounds and Smith recording seven assists.
The Falcons got their frontcourt involved early and often, with Fiyin Adeleye scoring eight points along with three blocks and Ashley Ngene adding seven points and seven rebounds. Macy Spencer contributed four assists, six rebounds and a key 3-pointer.
The trend continued in the second half as Tompkins consistently threaded Dulles’ full-court press to set up the secondary break.
“We really just feed off each other’s energy, and we had some big shots from our posts,” Smith said. “We wanted to make sure they got the ball where they could be successful. We were still getting some other points in other ways, just making sure everyone was touching the ball.”
Threatt led all scorers with 19 points for Dulles and helped provide a thirdquarter spark with a basket and a steal leading to a layup by Jakiya Thompson.
But Tompkins answered with an 8-0 run as Smith scored twice and Ngene converted her own putback for a 40-24 lead.
Dai Dai Powell finished with 12 points and five steals for Dulles, which finished its best season since a regional semifinal appearance in 2009.
The Vikings could have another run ready next year, as Jahari Ennols, Victoria Moore and Beyonce Ewulu are the only seniors.
Tompkins continues a playoff run that includes a 68-37 win against Travis and a 57-42 triumph against Memorial.
After rapid success, the program has returned to its previous high.
The Falcons finished 26-4 with an undefeated district title last year but fell in the area playoffs, fueling this season’s success.
“To come from where we were freshman year, with Crystal and the coaches, it’s just a great feeling,” Durnford said. “I think we’ve all really bought in, and we have something special. We can go far if we work together.
“We’re ready to keep going.”