Judson girls, Clark boys win thrillers in playoff matchups.
Judson senior Kierra Sanderlin added to her big-game résumé Tuesday when she scored 33 points to lift the Rockets past Reagan 58-52 in overtime to win their fifth straight Region IV-6A championship at Northside Sports Gym.
The Rutgers-bound Sanderlin also recorded seven steals, including one in overtime, that helped break a 52-52 tie and put the Rockets in the lead for good.
Sanderlin intercepted a crosscourt pass in Reagan’s key. She went the length of the floor, found space from a triple team by dribbling behind her back and spinning for a layup with 34 seconds left in overtime.
The Judson-reagan contest was one of two thrillers at Northside Sports Gym.
Later on Tuesday, Clark prevailed over Harlan 49-48 in a boys Region IV-6A semifinal thanks to a layup by senior Al Emerllahu with 3.4 seconds left to send the Cougars to the regional finals for the first time since 2012.
Judson’s girls improved to 26-1. They will face the state’s topranked team, Houston Cypress Creek (31-0), in the state semifinals later this week.
Sanderlin scored 18 in the second half. She came through in the clutch much like in last week’s third round when she had a steal that led to the winning score in a 48-45 victory against Clark.
Her knack for making big plays is becoming routine.
“That kid, you can’t stop her,” Judson coach Triva Corrales said of Sanderlin. “She has this desire and this hunger in her that is unmatched. I’m so proud of her. She wanted it, I think, more than anyone in the gym tonight.”
Reagan (20-4) was in control in the early stages of the game thanks largely to sophomore Baylor pledge Samantha Wagner, who had a team-leading 22 points to go with 10 rebounds.
The Rockets trailed 25-18 at halftime as they struggled to move the ball in transition. They got things going in the third quarter, outscoring the Rattlers 18-8 to take a 38-33 lead.
“We had to win the transition game, and we didn’t do that in the first half, and I thought in the second half, we got it going,” Corrales said.
The Rockets led by as much as 42-35 in the first minute of the fourth quarter. Reagan regained the lead, 46-44, following a layup by Kelsie Hawkins at the 2:20 mark of the fourth quarter.
Sanderlin sent the game into overtime when she took the ball the length of the floor for a short jumper in traffic with 17 seconds left in the fourth to tie it at 48.
Sanderlin scored seven of the Rockets’ 10 points in overtime to seal it.
Judson beat Reagan for the second time this season. The Rockets prevailed 48-39 on Dec. 1.
“They knew our plays and we just weren’t executing the small details,” Sanderlin said. “We had to come out in the second half and focus on those. When we started getting momentum when headed into transition, we knew to come together, and we did so.”
Clark’s boys, who hadn’t been to the postseason since the 2016-17 season, trailed for most of the game on Tuesday.
The Cougars (22-2) next face Austin Westlake (28-1) later this week for the regional championship.
Emerllahu sent the Cougars there with the clutch layup off a pass from Jordan Mason.
Trailing 48-47 with 17.7 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Mason took an inbound pass at half-court. Mason drove into the paint, drawing a triple team. Emerllahu set a pick and found some open space by the glass. He showed patience as two Hawks bit on a pump fake. He shot the ball off the glass for the game-winner.
“Me and Jordan have that connection,” Emerllahu said. “We looked each other right in the eyes. He was trapped. He passed it right to me. Had a little pump-fake, and it was just a layup right there.”
Harlan (16-7) led by as much as 33-21 midway through the third quarter before the Cougars chipped away.
Clark’s Will Harris tied the game with a layup to make it 37 with 6:11 in the fourth.
Harlan sophomore Ryan Garza knocked in two of his four 3-pointers in the final 5:12 to create a little separation for the Hawks.
Garza’s try with 1:17 left put the Hawks in the lead, 48-45.
Harris pulled the Cougars to within one with a basket and had a big rebound off the first shot of a one-and-one with 32 seconds left that helped set up the game-winner.
Garza led all scorers with 15. Mason and Jason Onsonma scored 11 points apiece to lead the Cougars.