State Basketball Semi... Wylie vs Madison--Who wins?

[slingshot]

Wylie? Not impressive to look at... not tall, not "athletic", just get the job done.

Madison? Don't know much about them, just heard they are quite athletic.

[defense51]

I'll take AW in a close one

[regaleagle]

Don't know much about Wylie, but Madison is the real deal. Heck, they're always the real deal, but this season they are really good. All I know is there were a couple of seasons Argyle could have gone to the state tournament in any other region, except that Madison was in our way. And one year, we probably would have won it all, except Madison upset us...and they won state. We had 2 losses that season....FW Dunbar and Madison in the regional final. They are without a doubt one of the favorites year in and year out in 3A. Argyle did beat them last season....and went on to win state, but that was last season. Hutch beat Madison last season, too. But....THEY'RE BAAAAAACK!!! Again.

[ccmom]

http://m.reporternews.com/news/2013/mar/06/no-5-wylie-takes-on-no-2-dallas-madison-in-state/

NO. 5 WYLIE TAKES ON NO. 2 DALLAS MADISON IN STATE SEMIFINALS

By Sam Waller
Published Wednesday, March 6, 2013
The Abilene Wylie Bulldogs were able to raise their game enough last week to claim the Region I-3A championship and a berth in the Class 3A state tournament.

They’ll have to raise it a little more to extend their season for one last game.

The fifth-ranked Bulldogs (34-4) take on second-ranked Dallas Madison at 1:30 p.m. today in a state semifinal at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin. The winner advances to the state final at 10 a.m. Saturday to face either No. 1 Houston Yates (31-4) or No. 13 Brookshire Royal (29-9).

Wylie is making its first trip to state since 2007, when the Bulldogs reached the championship game before losing 52-47 to Sour Lake Hardin-Jefferson.

During the senior class’ high school years, Wylie has reached UIL state finals in football, girls basketball and volleyball, winning two girls basketball titles and the volleyball crown last fall.

Joining that group means a lot, senior post DeAndre Key said.

“From the start of the season we weren’t afraid to talk about competing as a state champion because we’ve seen people do it before,” he said. “We knew it was our turn to step up and get to that time in the playoffs.”

Junior forward Christian Nichols said the days following Wylie’s 57-55 victory over Wichita Falls Hirschi in the regional final have seen a flurry of emotions.

“It’s great to be there, to get to go,” he said. “Last year we came so close (losing in the I-3A final). Now we’re actually living the dream, getting to go to Austin. That’s what we’ve be working for the whole season.”

In the Trojans, the Bulldogs face a team that boasts six players standing 6-foot-6 or taller. Madison is averaging 73 points per game while holding opponents to 49.

“We’ll have to have everybody playing their best,” Wylie coach Russell Perkins said. “We’re up against a machine in Dallas Madison in what they can do. It’s going to be size that we haven’t seen this year and speed. We’ve seen some fast teams at the regional tournament, but the pressure these guys apply for 94 feet’s a little bit different from everybody we’ve seen.

“I think our team has been challenged all year long. We’ve played a very tough schedule, but we haven’t seen an opponent like Dallas Madison.”

Wylie comes in with a 15-game winning streak, which Key said can be traced back to the preparation Perkins and his coaching staff have done.

“It’s important to pay attention to what Coach (Perkins) has to tell us,” Key said. “He obviously hasn’t failed us now, so we just trust in him and having him teach us what we need to do to win this game.”

Madison has won 16 in a row, notching a pair of 23-point victories over Texarkana Liberty-Eylau and Wilmer-Hutchins in the Region II-3A Tournament at Commerce.

In their regional games against Kennedale and Wichita Falls Hirschi, the Bulldogs controlled the pace and never trailed in either after the middle of the second quarter.

“I thought our experience in Lubbock was very important,” Perkins said. “We’d been there the year before and we knew what was going to happen. Dallas Madison won the state championship in 2009 and this is three out of four years that they’ve been to Austin. The experience factor is now the other direction.

“We’re going to have to come in and play relaxed like we’ve done. We’ve talked throughout the playoffs that poise and passion gets us in the right spot for every possession. We’ll see what happens.”

Senior post Tyler Hicks said having won seven postseason games over the last two years gives the Bulldogs something of a comfort level going in.

“It helps a lot, especially to experience the intensity when you get deeper in the playoffs and how hard everyone plays,” he said. “Everyone wants to make it all the way.

“It helps to have played in the big games last year and it’s really cool to go all the way to state this year. We didn’t want to stop at the same point we did last year. We wanted to keep going, push farther.”

Now the Bulldogs have 32 minutes to show they deserve a spot among the state’s final four teams.

“It’s having fun playing the game on a stage where very few kids get to participate,” Perkins said. “If our kids go out and have fun, relax and play, then they’ll remember that for a lifetime.

“We know that we’re going to have to be at our best, but we believe that people are going to have to play very well to be able to play us, as well. You expect to play the best when you get to Austin and we’re going to get that chance.”

[maestro]

What a nice read this article was

Faith and trust in their coach, fellow teammates, and playing hard.

Good luck today

According to houston chronicle games will be streaming live today

Foxsportssouthwest.com

Hopefully it will work

[maestro]

Ok
Getting blank screen

Any suggestions on the live streaming?

[jason]

Ok
Getting blank screen

Any suggestions on the live streaming?

try unplugging the power to your computer for 3 minutes and restart it 4 times

[jason]

wylie getting run out of the gym

[Matthew328]

wylie getting run out of the gym

Madison up 20 late first half

[Matthew328]

Madison up by 37 now

[jason]

madison up 40 late 3rd

[Matthew328]

92-55 final.....that was not pretty....thats what we like to call beating the brakes off someone

[slingshot]

Was afraid they would be too much... 6 players 6'6" or taller? Wow. Should be a classic between them and Yates.

[83Indian]

Great season for Wylie. Regional finals last year and semi-finals this year. Not a bad run.

[Sville]

Congrats to the Bulldogs on a fine season!

[ccmom]

Great season Bulldogs! Good luck to Madison tomorrow!!

[Tejastrue]

92-55 final.....that was not pretty....thats what we like to call beating the brakes off someone

Sounds like you enjoyed it.

[Matthew328]

Sounds like you enjoyed it.

I actually did...I love good basketball, I've got lots of friends who are fans of and coach at Madison....they are a fun team to watch

[franz]

Madison is quicker and has better outside shooting than Yates. Should be good match.

[regaleagle]

I'm taking Madison in this one. Should go down to the wire. I think this year's Madison team has that edge to them to beat just about anybody, even a good 5A playoff team.

[defense51]

Congrats AW on another great season!

[Tejastrue]

I actually did...I love good basketball, I've got lots of friends who are fans of and coach at Madison....they are a fun team to watch

Looks like your guys did it. Congrats.