Top-ranked Lipan reaches Class 2A state title game after holding off New Home

All five of the current starting seniors on the Lipan boys basketball team have climbed the playoff ladder each season since they were playing as freshmen for the Indians.

A loss in the regional tournament their first year, a loss in the state semifinals as sophomores and a loss in the state title game a season ago as juniors.

The natural progression would be to win a state championship and the Indians set themselves up to take that step by virtue of a 52-44 win over New Home in the Class 2A state semifinals on Friday morning at the Alamodome.

Lipan (37-1), No. 1 in the final TABC Class 2A state poll, will be seeking its fifth state title in 14 tournament appearances when they meet No. 2 LaRue LaPoynor (33-7) at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday back at the Alamodome.

LaPoynor defeated No. 10 Flatonia 66-43 in the second semifinal.

New Home (31-8) was making its second trip to the state tournament. The Leopards lost in the state semis in 1989 to Moulton.

Lipan defeated No. 5 New Home by 37 points in a tournament in mid December, but the Leopards were a shell of the team the Indians faced that day with two starters out and football players missing that have since joined the squad.

The Indians jumped on them early then and did it again on Friday. Tripp Phillips scored nine of his team-high 19 points in the first quarter and gave Lipan an 11-2 lead with a jumper in the paint at the 2:23 mark of the opening frame.

“I think our defensive intensity to start the game was really good, we were locked in,” said Lipan coach Brent Gaylor. “I’d like to think that we made them uncomfortable offensively, we held them to two points in the first quarter. That’s what Lipan basketball is all about.”

Garrett Smith’s bucket to start the second quarter stretched the lead to 11, but New Home showed some life late in the period with back-to-back threes by Trey Evans and Caleb Cook to cut the lead to 17-12.

Lipan shot well after the break hitting 14 of 19 field goals (73.7%) and built the lead to 16 points twice in the second half only to have New Home battle back to within eight both times. The Indians shot 56.4% for the game.

Reese Cook scored eight of his 10 points in the third quarter and gave the Indians a 37-21 lead with a lay up with 1:20 left in the quarter.

A three pointer by Reagan Fiedler, however, cut that to 39-31 with 7:04 left in the game. Fiedler scored 13 of his game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter.

Phillips helped build it back to 49-33 with 2:57 left with a dunk and a short jumper. Fiedler scored eight of the final 11 points for the Leopards, but it was too little too late.

“I thought our whole team had a great game on both ends of the floor,” said Gaylor. “They have some really great players and made some unbelievable shots, even though I thought we had great defense on them, but hats off to them.”

Cole Reynolds, Reese Cook, Phillips, Smith and Tate Branson were all on the varsity as freshmen with Reese Cook the only one that didn’t start.

With that core and seven total seniors on his 11-man roster Lipan coach Brent Gaylor really doesn’t have to coach that much.

“These guys have played so much basketball together that I just get to sit back and enjoy the show,” said Gaylor. “They’re so smart and intelligent that they know what needs to be done in certain situations and always do a good job.”

“We always have fun when we’re out there, but the ultimate goal is to always win,” said Lipan guard Garrett Smith, who had eight points, seven rebounds and four assists against New Home. “We’ve been playing together since about the second grade so we’re always having fun.

“I think we all remember what happened last year and that’s given us some fire this year. We just want to get it done and that’s what we’re gonna do.”

“The expectation is to win, but that’s what we expect every game,” said Branson who chipped in 10 points, three assists and three steals at point guard. “It doesn’t matter who we’re playing or what game it is, we expect to go out there and give it our best and win.

“It means a lot to me because I’ve been in Lipan my entire life and growing up here and seeing all the great players that come through there and coach [Tommy] Bleeker when he was there. It means a lot to me to be the starting point guard in a state championship. We’re just ready to play.”