Barr’s clutch 3 raises Tigers to new heights
Lyric Barr hit a gamewinning 3-pointer with 10.6 seconds left as Katy defeated Fort Bend Hightower 50-47 in a Region III-6A girls quarterfinal basketball game Tuesday night at the Campbell Center.
Barr’s 3-pointer put the Lady Tigers in the Region III-6A semifinals for the first time in school history.
“I felt bad when I missed that wide-open layup for my team before that,” Barr said. “I wasn’t ready to lose. I was right there and shot it and prayed that it went in.”
Katy (32-2) will take on Pearland in a Region III-6A semifinal game at 6 p.m. Friday at the Campbell Center in Aldine.
The Lady Oilers defeated Clear Brook 53-46 in their Region III-6A quarterfinal.
Summer Creek and Memorial will play in the other Region III-6A semifinal at 7:30.
“It has been amazing,” Katy coach Shanna Marhofer said of the Lady Tigers’ run. “These kids are so special. I am so proud of them.”
Hightower ends the season 32-4.
“I told them to reflect on our journey because we have had a special journey,” Hightower coach Jasmine Brewer said. “This is just a special group. This group has bought into everything I have asked them to do, and I’m demanding. It’s a blessing that I’m returning eight out of nine players next year, but we’re losing our senior point guard.”
With a chance to tie the game after Barr’s go-ahead bucket, the Lady Hurricanes didn’t get a shot off against Katy’s defensive pressure.
“That was big,” Barr
said of the last defensive stop. “That’s the reason why we won this game: because of defense.”
Katy controlled the first half and led 29-22 at intermission.
But just before halftime, Brewer called for a fullcourt press that caused trouble for the Lady Tigers.
“We started doing it, but we weren’t aggressive as I thought we could be,” Brewer said. “I knew when we were down at halftime that they were ready to go. I told them, ‘Let’s go make them uncomfortable,’ and, ‘We’re fighters.’ We got back in that press to shake them up.”
Hightower’s press
caused three straight turnovers as the Lady Hurricanes started the third quarter on a 9-0 run. Madison Bob, who scored a team-high 13 points, capped the burst with a 3 that put Hightower up 3129, the first lead for the Lady Hurricanes since midway through the first quarter.
“We talked about against their press that the diagonal pass would be there,” Marhofer said. “When we were making the pass ahead diagonally, we did a great job. We made the adjustment in the fourth quarter and were able to make better passes.”
Katy’s first points of the third quarter came with 3:41 left as Barr knocked down a pair of free throws to tie the game at 31. She would finish with 21 points and made all seven of her free throws.
Katy led 38-34 at the end of the third quarter and got off to a hot start in the fourth. Ella Robinson made a layup before Barr knocked down a 3-pointer as the Lady Tigers assumed a 43-34 lead that forced a Hightower timeout with 5:47 left.
The Lady Hurricanes wouldn’t go away, embarking on a 12-2 run that included 8 points by Bob, including a pair of 3s. With 2:47 left, Hightower led 4645.
Katy guard Ashlyn Alexander drove the lane to put the Lady Tigers up 4746 with 1:51 left. Hightower senior point guard Nia Reed, who totaled 11 points, made one of her two free throws to tie the game at 47, setting the stage for Barr.
Katy will have its hands full Friday against Pearland, which will be making its second straight Region III-6A semifinal appearance.
“It’s a blessing,” Barr said of the Lady Tigers’ advancement. “All glory to God, really. It’s just a true blessing. We did it as a team, and now we have a chance to play another game. And as a senior, I’m happy for that.”