FREEZE OUT: Sulphur Springs ices cold-shooting Tigers

Sulphur Springs' Victor Iwuakor, 32, yells after making a rebound during the second quarter of their game against Texas High on Friday at the Tiger Center.
Sulphur Springs' Victor Iwuakor, 32, yells after making a rebound during the second quarter of their game against Texas High on Friday at the Tiger Center.

Texas High coach Keith Jones was possibly preaching "Yogism" Friday after Sulphur Springs beat THS at the Tiger Center, 51-43.

"It ain't over 'til it's over," Yankee legend Yogi Berra once said. Earlier in the week Jones was quoted as saying he didn't expect anyone to go unbeaten in District 16-5A.

The Wildcats (18-4, 3-0) took a big step in the direction of a 16-5A championship with Friday's road win.

"I thought they might have intimidated us a little at the start of the first half with their size," Jones said. "We watched a lot of film on them, and when people took the ball inside on them the big boys caused problems. We were being a little cautious, and that's my fault. I didn't want to go inside and them block every shot.

"We adjusted in the second half and started taking it to them. I think it increased our confidence, and I think we played better offensively the second half. We knew going into the game we would have to shoot the ball well and we didn't. We missed a lot of free throws that we don't normally miss. We had wide open threes and couldn't make them. Everybody on Sulphur Springs' team can score."

Texas High (11-5, 1-1) scored the game's first two points on a basket by Curtis Crump, and led 7-6 with 3:40 remaining in the first quarter after a trey by senior Quan Hampton.

Two layups and a dunk by 6-8 sophomore Victor Iwuakor gave the Wildats a 12-7 lead at the first break.

That lead grew to nine early in the second period after a layup by Michael Jefferson and another dunk by Iwuakor.

The Tigers battled back behind the play of Lavon Brown, who scored five of his team-high 12 points in the second quarter.

It was 22-16 at intermission, the Tigers cutting it to four points at the start of the third quarter on a bucket from Brown.

Four of Texas High's 12 turnovers in the game followed and the Wildcats' lead quickly became 12 going into the final eight minutes.

Sulphur Springs' lead was 14 at one point in the final quarter, the Tigers cutting that down to six on two occasions, but they could never get closer, missing six straight free throws in the final five minutes.

Three-pointers by Brown and Caleb Wilson cut the Wildcats' lead to 10. That's when Ke'Ontae Dunn's layup made it, 51-41. Tevailance Hunt scored the game's final points on a slam for THS.

Dunn and Iwauakor finished with 15 points each, with Jefferson adding 11. Iwauakor also had a game-high 14 rebounds and blocked four shots.

Texas High travels to Mount Pleasant next Tuesday for another key 16-5A game.

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Sulphur Springs 12 10 17 12-51

Texas High 7 9 11 16-43

SS (51): Dunn 6 3-5 15; Willis 1 0-0 2; Lynn 2 0-0 5; Rutherford 1 0-0 2; Jefferson 5 1-3 11; Iwuakor 7 1-3 15. TOTALS 22 6-13 51.

THS (43): Wilson 1 0-0 3; Reid 2 0-2 4; Brown 4 2-2 12; Hampton 1 0-2 3; Drumm 4 0-0 8; Crump 2 0-2 4; Hunt 4 0-0 9. TOTALS 18 2-8 43.

3-point goals: SS, Lynn. THS, Wilson, Brown 2, Hampton, Hunt. Team Fouls: Sulphur Springs 10, Texas High 12.

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