Peters five first half
dunks spark Yates
For the last 14 games the Yates basketball team has known nothing less than a 100. They have scored a100 points or more in 26 out of their last 33 games. Going into the final quarter up 72-56, Yates scored 34 points to surpass the 100 point mark for a record breaking 15th time. The previous record was set by Hobbs (NM) in the1969-70 season.
Top ranked, Jack Yates Lions (33-0) advance to the Class 4A title game to face Lancaster (36-2) on Saturday at 3:30 pm by defeating Lewisville The Colony Cougars Friday night 106-76 at the Frank Erwin Center. No. 2 ranked Lancaster had to use overtime to defeat Austin Lake Travis 64-56 in the first semifinal.
Yates win streak stands at 57 after the win.
Lancaster may have provided some fuel for the class 4A championship set for Saturday at 3:30 pm. The Tigers confronted Yates in the Hallway after their win over Lake Travis. Luckily there was no major incidents, only a little pushing and trash talking.
Brandon Peter’s early dunks (a total of 5 in the first half) pushed Yates out to a 10-2 lead which didn’t last for long as The Colony (30-9) cut it down to 5 at 17-12 with a little more than two minutes to go in the first quarter. At times the Lions struggled, not looking as sharp as they usually are but managed to keep control of the game.
A.J. Price and Austin Chatman did what they could to keep the Cougars in it with an array of jumpers and fast break layups but Yates kept the pressure on. Each time the Cougars would draw within 4 or 5 points the Lion would make a run.
“It’ beautiful to our community (speaking about breaking the record of scoring at least 100 points or more in 15 games straight) I know they wanted it more than we did. We came out kind of sluggish in the first half but we went to halftime as we always do and picked up some things, Coach Wise let us know our mistakes and our down falls. Basically we were slacking on defense,” said Yates shooting Guard Elton Roy.
Peters led the way with 29 points for the Lions while Roy added 23 points on six three pointers.
Yates went up 25-12 before Colony fought back with a buzzer beating three pointer from Price, that cut the lead to 7, 25-18 to close out the first quarter.
Five players went down with minor injuries. Three from Yates, Peters and Roy suffered from cramps and Darius Gardner took a blow to the stomach, each player return to the game. Sophomore Kendall Jones and Price collided after chasing a long Yates pass, it all happen in the first half
“Right now my mind is on making sure we’re ready to play and get that one in on Saturday. We need to work on our mind set, coming out in the beginning of the game. Everything else we’re going to do what we’ve always done,” Yates Coach Wise said.
Price’s layup and Antoine Burrell’s free throw chopped the Lions lead to four, 25-21 to begin the second quarter. But after that Yates begin to pick it up.
A three pointer from Elton Roy got things started, moving Yates out to a 28-21 lead with 4:15 to go in the second. From there, they took a 51-36 halftime lead.
Three quick baskets by Price, Troy Webster and Jordon Williams cut Yates lead down to single digits, 51-42 in the third quarter.
Late in the game Yates bench began to wear the down Cougars.
