KFDM COOP Posted January 19, 2008 Report Posted January 19, 2008 Atascocita has playoffs in mind By defeating Kingwood, Eagles in 21-5A chase The Eagles used their athleticism and some tough defense Friday night, defeating Kingwood High School 52-49 on its home floor. With the win, Atascocita (14-7, 4-3 District 21-5A) put itself in the thick of the district playoff race, moving into a tie for fourth place with Kingwood (17-8, 4-3). "It's sweet," senior forward Shawn Toran said. "We wanted this one bad." Atascocita came out strong on both ends of the floor in the first quarter, jumping out to a 10-2 lead in the first five minutes and a 12-5 lead after a quarter. Kingwood used some of its trademark stingy defense to start the second quarter on a 11-2 run to take a 16-14 lead with 4:58 to go in the half. Senior guard Christian Driver scored with one second left in the first half to give the Eagles a 24-22 lead at the break. The Eagles were able to control the tempo in the third quarter, forcing the Mustangs to run and gun, and it worked. Forwards T.J. Shaw (11 points) and Toran (11 points) helped Atascocita take a 41-34 lead heading into the fourth. Their defensive effort, spearheaded by point guard Mick Hoffman (team-high 13 points) on the perimeter and Toran's shot-blocking on the interior, helped them get easy points in transition. "Being a captain, I've got to bring some energy to the table," Hoffman said. "When your senior point guard can do that, it sets the tone for everybody else." The Mustangs pulled to within two at 44-42 with 5:54 remaining after a three-point play by Jordan McGowen (17 points), but forward Austin Nickell responded with a tough shot to extend the lead to four. The Mustangs got no closer than four points until they drew to within two with 14.2 seconds left. Driver hit one of two free throws with 11 seconds left and the Mustangs had a shot to send it to overtime, but Hunter Martin's 3-point attempt at the buzzer hit the front of the rim and fell short, setting off a celebration by the Eagles. "We needed this win more than anything," Hoffman said. "I'm going to say it right now — we're going to the playoffs."
Guest etbu Posted January 19, 2008 Report Posted January 19, 2008 Not bad for a second year school. ;D
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