Girls basketball playoff roundup: Crowley, Bell secure wins plus more from Fort Worth-area

The Texas high school girls basketball playoffs are here.

The bi-district round kicked off on Monday, and plenty of teams from the Fort Worth-area competed. See results, stats and more in the Fort Worth-area bi-district roundup.

Crowley soars past Keller Central

Keller Central made its first playoff appearance in 17 years, but the run was short lived.

Crowley (27-6), the No. 2 ranked Class 6A team in the Fort Worth-area, defeated Keller Central 54-38 on Monday at W.G, Thomas Coliseum in the bi-district round of the playoffs. Crowley head coach Ronnie Nichols said “good team basketball” was played as the team fought through last minute rotation changes due to a sick player.

“We took some punches that they delivered and was able to handle them,” Nichols said. “Defensively, I think we played well. We made some adjustments.”

The Central Chargers (14-15, 7-5) defeated Keller Timber Creek in the regular season finale to earn the playoff appearance.

Central head coach Brittany Foster credited her team for showcasing perseverance throughout the season and fighting for a playoff spot.

“My girls fought,” Foster said. “They’ve been amazing. It’s not the result we wanted, but it’s now an expectation at Keller Central that we’re going to make the playoffs.”

Crowley took a 6-0 lead to start from three pointers by Adiah McGee and Jordan Crawford. The Eagles led the rest of the way, but Central kept finding ways to make the game competitive.

Central cut the Crowley lead to three points with a few minutes left in the first half, but a 6-0 Eagle run re-stretched the lead. The Chargers sunk back-to-back three pointers to start the second half, staying in the game.

Crowley finished an 11-0 run early int he fourth quarter, putting the game out of reach for Central. Nichols said to keep the momentum the team will need good team defense, discipline and execution.

Junior London Harden tallied a game high 15 points for Crowley. Her performance was the foundation of Crowley’s offensive production.

“She is an outstanding young lady,” Nichols said. “Offense, defense. Whatever we need. She is constantly pressuring the ball.”

Crowley will face either Wolfforth Frenship or Pebble Hills in the area round, depending on the squads’ Tuesday night bi-district game. Nichols said he was proud of how his team navigated injuries and roster changes.

“They played really well tonight,” Nichols said. “Our guards have done a really great job accepting the challenge, stepping up and battling inside and out every night.”

Southlake Carroll pulls away, eliminates North Crowley

Southlake Carroll (29-5, 12-0) played close with North Crowley (20-11, 10-4) in the first half but pulled away in the second to secure a 57-40 bi-district round win. Sophomore Natalia Jordan dropped 15 points, a team high, for the Lady Dragons.

Southlake Carroll led 25-20 at the half and outscored North Crowley by six points in both the third and the fourth quarters. North Crowley senior Kendal Robinson led all scorers with 19 points.

The Jordan sisters, led by Natalia Jordan, combined for 50 points. Milania scored 14 points while Gianna and Nadia scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Southlake Carroll will play El Paso Americas in the area round. The time and destination of the game is to be determined.

Brewer dismantles Fort Worth Southwest

Brewer girls basketball proved why its the No. 2 ranked Class 5A team in the Fort Worth-area with a 90-14 dismantling of Fort Worth Southwest at Wilkerson-Grienes on Tuesday. Brewer has won 10 in a row.

Brewer started the contest with a 32 point first quarter, creating an insurmountable lead right from the start. Senior Chania Price led all scorers with 23 points and also outscored the entirety of Brewer’s team by nine points.

Aoloni Woldai scored 16 points while Eryn McKenzie scored 15 points. The fourth Brewer Bear in double digits was Jayla Jackson-Allen, who tallied 14 points.

Brewer will play Colleyville Heritage in the area round. The time and destination of the game is to be determined.

Haltom thumped by Highland Park

Haltom (10-23, 7-7) struggled to stay competitive with Highland Park, losing 64-19 on Tuesday at the Arlington ISD Athletics Center. Highland Park (26-8, 13-1) will play Allen in the area round with a tip off time and location to be determined.

Haltom scored just seven points in the first half, failing to bounce back after a two point opening quarter. Jasmine Chavez led the Buffaloes with a team nine points. Audrey Walker and Cate Young led Highland Park with 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Manfield Lake Ridge’s late surge defeats Waco Midway

Mansfield Lake Ridge (19-5, 7-7) turned on the jets in the fourth quarter to take down Waco Midway (21-12, 11-1) on Tuesday at Hillsboro High School. Midway was on a seven game win streak prior to the bi-district round defeat and only lost one district game.

Lake Ridge, on the other hand, had a 7-7 district play record to claim District 11-6A’s final playoff spot. Of course, rankings and records and thrown out the window once the playoffs begin.

Lake Ridge took a 12-9 lead at the end of the first quarter, but only scored three points in the second quarter. Midway took a 30-28 lead into the fourth quarter, where Lake Ridge secured the upper hand.

Lake Ridge junior Joy Egbuna scored a team high 15 points while freshman point guard Jazman Bailey added 10 points. Midway’s Sarah Brown led all scored with 17 points.