Mansfield Summit and O.D. Wyatt both score Texas UIL boy’s basketball playoff wins

The 2023 Texas UIL Boy Basketball playoffs are in full swing and there were two games that would decide who would advance to the next round of the playoffs.

The first game was between O.D. Wyatt High School Chaparrals and Grapevine High School Mustangs. O.D. Wyatt would win a thrilling back-and-forth affair by a score of 66-56.

The first half was deadlocked until late in the second quarter when O.D. Wyatt went on an 8-0 run that helped them secure a 33-26 halftime lead over Grapevine.

O.D. Wyatt was led by senior center Nicholas Gunter who dominated the defensive end of the floor.

Gunter had multiple highlight blocks in the first half and his shot-blocking and size stopped Grapevine from being effective in the paint while he was patrolling the lane.

“Elite. Rim. Protection. He’s a very smart defensive player he sees everything on the floor, he knows the calls and he quarterbacks on the backside.” said O.D. Wyatt head coach DeMarqus James.

Grapevine however would not be deterred, storming back in the third quarter and forcing several turnovers by putting constant pressure on O.D. Wyatt ball handlers and turning those turnovers into easy buckets.

Grapevine also relied on timely three-point shooting, epitomized by senior guard TJ Gigowski who hit a key shot to reduce the Chaparrals lead to two with under a minute left in the third quarter.

Grapevine outscored O.D. Wyatt by seven points in the third quarter to knot the game up at 45 heading into the fourth quarter.

Neither team scored a field goal in the first minute of the fourth, but the drought would be broken by O.D. Wyatt freshman guard Jaelon Germany. Germany’s three gave the Chaparrals a lead they wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the game.

O.D. Wyatt struggled from three-point range all game but came alive in the fourth quarter hitting multiple threes in the final quarter.

Yet, Grapevine wouldn’t go away and reduced the deficit to five with 1:44 left in the game.

The Chaparrals responded by getting stops and scoring in transition, none more emphatic than a soaring transition slam by senior wing Morgan Baldwin Jr that electrified the building.

James knew from past experience that his team needed a moment to savor the play before putting the finishing touches on their victory.

“So I went ahead and called a timeout knowing that the guys get a chance to celebrate and get some time to relax and get back focused so we can get a stop on defense”

O.D. Wyatt rewarded their coach’s decision and ended the game with a defensive stop and a playoff victory.

Mansfield Summit high school Jaguars vs Arlington Heights high school Yellow Jackets

The second game was between the Mansfield Summit high school Jaguars and the Arlington Heights high school Yellow Jackets. The Jaguars would win a 64-38 blowout over the Yellow Jackets.

The game started as a defensive slugfest in the first quarter with both offenses struggling to gain traction. The first quarter ended with a narrow 10-7 jaguars lead.

In the second quarter, the Jaguars started to take advantage of the defensive pressure they were putting on the Yellow Jackets and blew the game open.

“We tried to make it hard for the offense however we can do it,” said Summit head coach Emund Prichett, “we just tried to work hard.”

The work was evident from the opening tip, the Jaguars defense swarmed the Yellow Jackets furiously causing constant mayhem. Mansfield Summit started to score off translation layups and early offense unleashing their athleticism at every opportunity.

The Jaguars were led by the triumvirate of players; freshman Theo Brannan, senior guard Franck Emmou and senior forward Richard Lemboye in conjunction with a physically imposing defense

Brannan was hustling all night especially after his own misses turning two of them into buckets via an assist and a putback. Brannan also was dishing smart passes, hitting the occasional three-pointer and competing hard on defense.

Emmou was a shot maker personified. Whether driving for a twisting layup, hitting a step-back three, or scoring from the mid-range. Emmou scored multiple high-degree-of-difficulty three-pointers in the first half that helped the Jaguars establish their lead.

Lemboye might not have been the biggest player on the court but he played like it dominating the boards on both ends, protecting the paint and dunking the ball as viciously as he could every chance he got.

“I know what he’s [Lemboye] gonna do, he’s gonna be a warrior every single night,” said Prichett, “I’m very proud of his work ethic tonight.”

The second half brought more of the same pressure, turnovers and Jaguars transition buckets.

After the second quarter, the Jaguars never looked back outscoring the Yellow Jackets 53-31 over the remainder of the game while dominating until the final whistle.