Phantom Stang
02-02-2006, 12:05 AM
Stangs beat Snyder, clinch playoff berth
By RON HOWELL/Reporter Sports Editor
A month ago, the Sweetwater boys basketball team was just getting used to the idea of win-ning games.
That must seem like ancient history now.
Not only are the Mustangs winning now, they are doing it against District 4-3A competi-tion. And Tuesday's 57-49 vic-tory over Snyder has them back in the Class 3A playoffs after a one-year absence.
Although Sweetwater is just 7-14 overall, the Mustangs are now 4-1 in district play, with the only loss against first-place Wylie. Sweetwater goes to Wylie this Friday with a chance to pull into a first-place tie, then ends the regular season next week with home games against Clyde and Merkel. Wy-lie (5-0) maintained its lead in the district by beating Merkel, 65-36, on Tuesday, while third-place Clyde (2-2) was idle.
Snyder (1-4) and last-place Merkel (0-5) have both been eliminated from the playoff race with 1 1/2 weeks remaining in the regular season.
Sweetwater shot exception-ally well against Snyder, mak-ing 22 of 37 shots (59 percent) from the field, while commit-ting just five turnovers and do-ling out 20 assists.
The Mustangs got a career game by senior forward Eric Emerson, who scored a season-best 28 points and made 11-of-12 shots from the field. He also had a team-high 12 rebounds and two blocks.
But all five of Sweetwater's starters had solid games. Senior guard Kendal Carrillo had 16 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists; senior guard Brittan Pittman had six points plus a team-high eight assists and six steals; and junior guard Duone Cunnings hit the team's only 3-pointer and scored five points while providing five as-sists. The other starter, senior forward Tripp Maxwell, scored just two points but also had six rebounds, four assists, a pair of steals and two blocks.
Sweetwater trailed only once (8-7) in the contest and led by as many as 16, 51-35, late in the fourth quarter until Snyder cut the lead to eight with a finishing 14-6 run that featured four 3-pointers. The Tigers, who hit nine treys in the game, were led by Tagaba Kyei with 16 points.
Copyright © 2006 Sweetwater Reporter
By RON HOWELL/Reporter Sports Editor
A month ago, the Sweetwater boys basketball team was just getting used to the idea of win-ning games.
That must seem like ancient history now.
Not only are the Mustangs winning now, they are doing it against District 4-3A competi-tion. And Tuesday's 57-49 vic-tory over Snyder has them back in the Class 3A playoffs after a one-year absence.
Although Sweetwater is just 7-14 overall, the Mustangs are now 4-1 in district play, with the only loss against first-place Wylie. Sweetwater goes to Wylie this Friday with a chance to pull into a first-place tie, then ends the regular season next week with home games against Clyde and Merkel. Wy-lie (5-0) maintained its lead in the district by beating Merkel, 65-36, on Tuesday, while third-place Clyde (2-2) was idle.
Snyder (1-4) and last-place Merkel (0-5) have both been eliminated from the playoff race with 1 1/2 weeks remaining in the regular season.
Sweetwater shot exception-ally well against Snyder, mak-ing 22 of 37 shots (59 percent) from the field, while commit-ting just five turnovers and do-ling out 20 assists.
The Mustangs got a career game by senior forward Eric Emerson, who scored a season-best 28 points and made 11-of-12 shots from the field. He also had a team-high 12 rebounds and two blocks.
But all five of Sweetwater's starters had solid games. Senior guard Kendal Carrillo had 16 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists; senior guard Brittan Pittman had six points plus a team-high eight assists and six steals; and junior guard Duone Cunnings hit the team's only 3-pointer and scored five points while providing five as-sists. The other starter, senior forward Tripp Maxwell, scored just two points but also had six rebounds, four assists, a pair of steals and two blocks.
Sweetwater trailed only once (8-7) in the contest and led by as many as 16, 51-35, late in the fourth quarter until Snyder cut the lead to eight with a finishing 14-6 run that featured four 3-pointers. The Tigers, who hit nine treys in the game, were led by Tagaba Kyei with 16 points.
Copyright © 2006 Sweetwater Reporter