Pearland to stay the course in semis
The script has rarely altered for Pearland all season in reaching this weekend’s UIL Class 6A state girls basketball tournament in San Antonio. And why should it? If you’ve won 35-of-38 games, a tweak here and there should resolve any issues.
That’s why the Lady Oilers won’t be formulating a grandiose plan for twotime defending state champion DeSoto (27-5) when the teams meet in an 8:30 p.m. semifinal Friday at the Alamodome. The winner will play San Antonio Clark (32-3) or Coppell (38-3) in the title game at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.
It’s no secret that Pearland plays its starters the majority of each game, but even a Fab Five needs a breather every now and then.
That’s where sophomore post Eliece Perry and junior guard Imani Harvey enter the picture for the Lady Oilers.
Perry is often called upon to relieve RyLee Grays, Pearland’s 6-foot-3 senior post, who signed with North Carolina. The 6-foot Perry receives quality training in practice every day.
“When I come in for RyLee, I just want to make sure I’m doing my job,” she said. “I’ve learned to take my time and not rush everything.”
Perry was ushered into the Region III-6A title game against Summer Creek last Saturday when Grays drew her fourth foul midway through the fourth quarter.
“I know I need to be that extra support,” Perry said. “I just want to be confident in everything I do and not think too hard about it. Playing last Saturday helped me, and going against RyLee in practice helps, also. Knowing when and where to step is important. There’s always something new you can learn.”
Harvey, too, puts in valuable minutes.
She regularly substitutes for any of Pearland’s three guards — seniors Janae Tucker and Paige Bonner and junior Nyah Hardy.
“When one of our guards needs a rest for two or three minutes, I’m able to come in and be the defensive energy off the bench,” Harvey said. “I love playing defense, and that’s my job.”
Harvey knows her limited court time can prove decisive in a close game.
“I’ll guard anybody I can, and I feel extremely comfortable doing it,” she said. “It helps that my teammates give me confidence. Whether I mess up or do something good, they encourage me. I’m working on getting better on the offensive side.”
Pearland brings confidence and a 15-game win streak into the first state appearance for the Lady Oilers in 43 years.
DeSoto possesses a wealth of experience at this stage, having made a state appearance in 2019 in addition to its titles the last two years. Last season, the Lady Eagles graduated seven Division I signees, each of whom received McDonald’s All-American recognition. This year’s DeSoto team features only freshmen, sophomores and juniors.
A bright spot for Pearland is that DeSoto lost to Summer Creek 44-38 early in the season. The Lady Oilers defeated Summer Creek twice.
“We are definitely just going to focus on us,” Pearland coach Jere Adams said. “Any of the teams in the state tournament are great competition. We just need to focus on the things we need to do to be successful.”
Adams said fine-tuning what Pearland already does well is the key.
“Any time you’re moving up another level, you need to take it up a notch, but I am definitely pleased with how composed we were last weekend,” Adams said. “Defense is a big point of emphasis for us, and rebounding needs to be our focus.”
Grays hopes that Pearland’s senior-dominated team has an edge.
“We’ll treat DeSoto just like we have any other team,” she said. “Maybe we can capitalize on the fact that they’re young. We’ve been in tight situations before, and I think we’ll be mature about being in any situation at state.”