Lady Oilers fall short of title game
SAN ANTONIO — Forget that DeSoto’s entire roster is underclassmen – when you’re blessed with a plethora of talented athletes, it’s difficult for an opponent to find many opportunities.
Pearland experienced enough first-half troubles for the Lady Eagles to establish a 10-point lead, and DeSoto (28-5) easily held on to reach tomorrow’s 8:30 p.m. Class 6A state championship game with a 56-35 win Friday night at the Alamodome.
The two-time defending state champions will battle Northside Clark for the crown.
Despite the loss, Pearland (35-4) completed the most successful season in school history.
After 6-3 senior post RyLee Grays pulled the Lady Oilers within 17-15 with a basket at 6:44 of the second period, DeSoto junior guard Mylasia Smith scored eight straight points, six coming on 3pointers, as the Lady Eagles opened a 25-15 cushion.
From there, DeSoto was in complete control.
“We struggled to take care of the ball a little bit,” Pearland head coach Jere Adams said. “I think that they’re a good team, and they capitalized on turnovers and second-chance opportunities.
“Defensively, in the first half we needed to do a better job of closing down on the shooters and taking care of the ball.”
Pearland guards Paige Bonner and Janae Tucker each scored two points to finish the half, but the Lady Oilers still faced a 29-19 deficit that only continued to swell in the closing 16 minutes.
While Pearland may not have played its best game of the season, it didn’t lack for effort.
“I think we did play really hard, and we stayed together until the end,” Grays said, “and I appreciate that.
“But they were very long and very physical. It just made it tough.”
Grays scored seven of Pearland’s nine points in the third quarter, but it didn’t dent DeSoto’s lead which ballooned to 39-26.
DeSoto established as much as a 56-33 advantage in the closing quarter in securing the win.
No Pearland player was able to score from the field in the second half other than Grays because of DeSoto’s length and athleticism.
Pearland led only once at 9-7 on a Niyah Hardy basket with 1:42 left in the opening quarter.
However, DeSoto would end the quarter on an 8-2 run with 6-foot freshman Amayah Garcia and 6-2 freshman Kamora Garcia each hitting 3-pointers for a 15-11 Lady Eagles edge.
Pearland, which had a 15-game win streak snapped, was making only its third state appearance in school history, the last time being in 1980 when it lost to Dallas South Oak Cliff, 78-55, in the semifinals.
DeSoto has reached the state finals in four of the past five years.
“I’m proud of our ladies following the gameplan,” DeSoto head coach Andrea Robinson said. “It was exciting to see them do the things we talked about.”
Smith was as crucial a performer for DeSoto as anyone.
“Malaysia is an anchor for us,” Robinson said. “She gets it done offensively and defensively for us. She was more of a defensive player last year, but now she’s a complete player.”
When Smith wasn’t igniting the fast break with her four steals, she was effectively running DeSoto’s half-court offense.
The taller DeSoto team repeatedly found itself shooting high-percentage shots because it could pass over Pearland’s defenders.
“One of the things we’re focusing on is building a championship culture,” Robinson said. “The Duncanville history…they’ve had that for years.
“We’re a baby culture. We’re really working to try to maintain greatness year in and year out. That’s kind of our theme now — greatness never graduates.”
In 2022, DeSoto posted a 35-2 record and rolled to a 40-23 win over South Grand Prairie for the Class 6A title.
In 2021, the Lady Eagles were 27-2 and captured the state crown for the first time with a 53-37 win over Cypress Creek.