Hallettsville's Dante Haynes buries his head in a towel after fouling out of a state semifinal game in the Frank Erwin Center on Friday. Hallettsville lost to Ponder 72-56.
Originally published March 12, 2010 at 11:42 p.m., updated March 12, 2010 at 11:50 p.m.
frank tilley/advocate photo editor
Christian Wood-Dvorak sets up for a shot under Ponder's Scott Gregg during the first half on Friday. Dvorak scored 25 points and pulled down 12 rebounds.
For more photosGo to http://tinyurl.com/yebl6wu.
AUSTIN -- Hallettsville's first experience at the UIL state basketball tournament went exactly as expected until its Class 2A semifinal game against Ponder began.
The Brahmas missed their first five shots and the poor shooting continued in a 72-56 loss before a crowd of 6,862 on Friday morning at the Erwin Center.
"I think overall the kids handled it fantastically," said Hallettsville coach Rich Dozier. "Last night they were in the swimming pool and this morning we got up and ate breakfast and we were all down there ready to go. If we could play the game again, I'm not guaranteeing we'd beat Ponder, but I guarantee we'd play better."
Unfortunately for the Brahmas, they don't get a do over and ended the season with a 36-2 record.
Ponder improved to 36-4 and will play for its third straight state championship on Saturday against Idalou, a 63-53 semifinal winner over New Waverly.
The Brahmas made only 9 of their 31 field goal attempts in the first half and none of their 3-point attempts. The poor shooting continued in the second half as Hallettsville had made only 15-of-48 field goal attempts entering the fourth quarter before finishing 24-of-67, including 5-of-18 from 3-point range.
"I don't think our kids are nervous," Dozier said. "I don't think they're scared or anything like that. It's very exciting to be in that situation. Our overall shot selection was not what it's been. They're doing something they've never, ever done before. They're excited and want to have fun."
Hallettsville's idea of fun is playing up-tempo basketball, full-court pressing and scoring lots of points.
The Brahmas scored 100 points or more nine times this season, but it wasn't until Christian Wood-Dvorak, who led the team with 25 points and 12 rebounds, made a jumper with 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter that they equaled their lowest point total of the season.
"It's a state tournament game and the referees were fantastic, but to get up in the 90s and 100s you have to get to the free throw line a lot and we didn't do that today," Dozier said of the Brahmas, who shot only seven free throws and made three.
"Another thing that happens in games that there are very few fouls called is they go by quick. I think all my kids could go out there and play another game right now and probably do better. Just the speed of the game didn't get to where we needed to go in order to get to the foul line."
Hallettsville forced 19 turnovers, but Ponder did a good job of handling the press. The Lions made the Brahmas pay by scoring 44 points in the paint.
Post Scott Gregg led Ponder with 19 points, 14 rebounds and six blocked shots, including five in the first half.
"Our kids did a great job," said Ponder coach Jude Stanley. "I mean we've been practicing a lot of 5 on 7 and 5 on 8 sometimes, and the guys understand how to handle pressure. Hats off to the Brahmas. They turned us over several times, but our kids were strong enough to stand up to the end and make the plays when we had to."
Hallettsville opened the second quarter with an 8-2 run to pull within 21-18, but Ponder stretched its lead to seven by halftime and the Brahmas got no closer in the second half.
"We saw it on film and we knew it was coming," Dozier said. "We practiced yesterday against 9, 10, 11, put the coaches out there, the managers, the mascot, the cheerleaders. We knew it was going to happen. Our little run came when we got the game moving at our speed and our pace and their coach recognized that and got it back to their pace. It was a battle of wills and their will was pretty strong today."
The Brahmas willed themselves to the best season in school history and their first state tournament appearance, even if they weren't pleased with the ending.
"I think it started out in the first quarter," said Dante Haynes, who scored 16 points before fouling out with 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter. "We had a slow start and we couldn't rebound from it. We had a pretty good season, but I still think we could have played a little bit better."
Haynes and junior starters Dvorak, Clayton O'Neill and Camp Dozier will get another chance to try and get back to the state tournament next season.
"We return seven of our top nine, the nucleus for sure," Rich Dozier said. "We'll be excited, motivated and their summer plans and their preseason plans will all be focused around coming back so they can have this experience again."
Ponder 72, Hallettsville 56
PONDER: Alex Huerta 6-7 2-3 15, Kaleb Broadstreet 6-14 0-0 15, Scott Gregg 9-10 1-1 19, Jorden Young 3-6 2-2 9, David Robertson 5-14 0-2 10, Robert Davenport 1-1 0-0 2, Jarryd Shirley 0-0 0-0 0, Dalton Brown 1-1 0-0 2, John Burke 0-0 0-0 0, Wade Ford 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 31-54 5-8 72.
HALLETTSVILLE: Clayton O'Neill 4-7 1-1 9, Christian Wood-Dvorak 11-25 0-2 25, Camp Dozier 1-4 0-0 2, Dante Haynes 7-24 1-2 16, Reid Brunner 1-4 0-0 3, Darnell Brown 0-3 1-2 1, Trevor McGee 0-0 0-0 0, Logan Goode 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-67 3-7 56.
Halftime: Ponder 25-18. 3-pointers: Broadstreet 3, Huerta, Young, Wood-Dvorak 3, Brunner, Haynes. Rebounds: Ponder 37, Hallettsville 33. Turnovers: Ponder 19, Hallettsville 15. Records: Ponder 36-4; Hallettsville 36-2.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.