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Duncanville completed its second straight undefeated District 5-5A girls basketball campaign with a convincing 63-41 home court victory over Mansfield Timberview on Tuesday night.

The district title was the 69^th for the storied program.

The Pantherettes extended their win streak to 21 games and stretched their string of victories in district play to 32 dating back to the 2009-2010 season.

Duncanville (33-1) is No. 2 in ESPNDallas.com's Class 5A Top 10 and No. 22 nationally in the POWERADE FAB 50 Girls' Basketball Rankings.

Senior guard Empress Davenport, a Texas signee, and sophomore guard Tasia Foman each scored 16 points to lead the Pantherettes against Timberview, which finished third in 5-5A. Duncanville didn't pull away until the second half.

Plano West handed Duncanville its only defeat, 58-50, in the finals of the Collin County Roundball Classic on Dec. 3. That defeat was avenged when Duncanville defeated Plano West, 55-38, in the finals of the Sandra Meadows Classic on Dec. 29 at Duncanville.

Duncanville faces off against Hurst L.D. Bell (26-9), the fourth seed from District 6-5A, in a Region I bi-district playoff slated for 6:30 p.m. Monday at Grand Prairie High’s Amos Turner Gymnasium.

No. 3 ranked Plano West and Irving MacArthur, the top-ranked Class 5A team, are in the opposite end of the Region I bracket and could meet Duncanville only in a regional final.

"We accomplished one of our goals of going unbeaten in district,'' said Duncanville coach Cathy Self-Morgan. "Now our goal is to win the next seven. It won't be easy. We are in a very tough region. But I like the way we are playing.''

Waxahachie returns to the girls state basketball playoffs after a rare absence a season ago.

The Lady Indians (20-9), runner-up in District 15-4A, face Round Rock Cedar Ridge (25-10) in the opener of a Region II bi-district doubleheader scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at Waco High.

The second game matches 15-4A champion West Mesquite against Hutto, fourth-place finisher in 16-4A.

Waxahachie has relied on defense to make up for a lack of height and a youthful lineup. The Lady Indians start two sophomores, two juniors and one senior.

“Nobody is taller than 5-8, so we have to be good on defense,’’ said Waxahachie coach Lesli Priebe, who guided the Lady Indians to the Class 4A state title in 2006.

Waxahachie counts on the rebounding and scoring of 5-foot-7 junior Ja’Mayia Perez and the all-around play of 5-foot-6 senior guard Taylor Hill.

Cedar Ridge is a new high school without a senior class, so its roster of two freshmen, five sophomores and three juniors is younger than that of Waxahachie. Cedar Ridge enjoys an advantage in height with 6-foot-2 sophomore Courtney Brown.

The teams closed the regular season in opposite fashion, with Waxahachie winning its final three and Cedar Ridge dropping its last three to fall into a tie for second place in District 16-4A. Cedar Ridge settled for the third-place playoff berth after losing a coin flip with Pflugerville Connally.

In its two most recent playoff trips in 2009 and 2010, Waxahachie advanced three rounds before losing in the Region II semifinals.

“We’ve gotten great effort from our girls this season,’’ Priebe said. “We’ll need to play our best against Cedar Ridge.’’

The Frisco Wakeland Lady Wolverines would have felt guilty this season if they'd taken a possession off, had a lazy practice or failed to meet their obligations off the court.

A simple glance at their bench would remind them what it means to persevere against long odds.

Wakeland assistant coach Jenny Mills was diagnosed with breast cancer last summer and began chemotherapy just as basketball season began.

Despite her condition, Mills missed just one game this season.

"She handled it like a champ," said Wakeland head coach Darilyn Krempin. "She's one of the strongest people I know. I think a lot of it is because she kept on going and didn't allow it to hold her back."

The Lady Wolverines (23-10, 11-1 in District 9-4A) rallied behind their coach this season. After losing the star players from their powerhouse 2010-11 team, Wakeland had a relatively slower start to the season and some outsiders began questioning whether it was the same team it had been the past two years.

But after surviving a difficult nondistrict schedule, Wakeland closed the season by ripping off eight straight wins, capped by Tuesday night's 61-35 victory over Carrollton R.L. Turner to clinch the District 9-4A title.

According to Krempin, Wakeland's success has come because of its belief in the team mentality that's developed around the program because of Mills. The Lady Wolverines rarely have the same leading scorer twice in a row as Alana Aguirre, Faith Hunt, Bria Platenburg, Danielle Westerfield and Darian Dunn have all shared the load during district play.

"We've had the success we've had this year because of the real team, family bonding, because of the things outside of basketball," Krempin said. "It's been a really unique, cool, special season, not even because of anything to do with being district champions."

In turn, Mills has drawn strength from her team. Krempin said the assistant's condition has improved and that "the worst is behind her."

"She's doing great," Krempin said. "I think it's helped her get through it. I think it's good that it was during the season instead of during the summer when we're all away from each other and sitting around doing nothing."

Wakeland opens the playoffs at 7 p.m. Monday at Prosper High School against McKinney North.

The defending Class 5A state champion Flower Mound Marcus boys are attracting all the attention heading into the playoffs, but the Marcus girls may be poised for a run of their own behind a stellar defense.

Marcus (22-12, 11-3 in 8-5A) finished second in a highly competitive District 8-5A behind Plano West and held numerous area powerhouses to surprisingly low point totals.

Plano West, No. 3 in the ESPNDallas.com Class 5A area rankings, boasts one of the best offenses in the area and averages 64 points per game. It scored just 47 in a win over Marcus.

Plano East, which averages 57 points per game, put up just 29 on Marcus in a loss earlier this year.

Plano isn't too far behind East and West at 56 points per game. In two games against Marcus, Plano scored 29 and 37 points -- both losses.

On the year, Marcus is giving up 42 points per game, and any team with a great defense has a chance to win.

Unfortunately for Marcus, it opens the playoffs against a team that may have an even better defense -- Denton Guyer.

Guyer (25-8, 10-4 in 7-5A) finished dead last in District 7-5A a year ago and had its issues even before it moved up to 5A, but the team has rebounded under second-year coach Harold Colson, who put together strong defensive teams during his tenure at Arlington High.

The Lady Wildcats give up a miniscule 34 points per game.

The two play at 6 p.m. on Monday at Trophy Club Byron Nelson in a game where points will be at a premium.

IRVING, Texas -- At 5-foot-7 and 145 pounds, Irving Nimitz guard Josh Moore does not exactly strike fear in opponents.

But behind his black-framed Clark Kent glasses is a relentless, tireless defensive specialist with fast hands guaranteed to make opposing ball handlers look silly a half-dozen times every game.

It was a steal by Moore with his team leading by three points with 15 seconds remaining that proved to be the decisive play in Nimitz’ 61-55 victory over Irving MacArthur in a key District 6-5A contest Tuesday night at Viking Gym.

Following a Nimitz turnover at mid-court, MacArthur’s Devonte Willis was dribbling down the left side of the floor, no doubt sizing up a 3-pointer that would force overtime.

In a flash, Moore came from the other direction and took the ball away. The steal led to Moore's clinching free throw with 6.2 seconds remaining.

“I just have an instinct, I guess,’’ Moore said. “It comes natural for me. I’ve been doing it since I was young. When big guys bring it down, that’s when I go up.’’

Twice in the fourth quarter, Moore uncharacteristically missed from the free throw line. That just made him more determined to win the ball back.

“I don’t usually miss free throws so I had to go get it,’’ said Moore, who finished with six points, seven rebounds and at least a half-dozen steals.

Nimitz first-year coach Joel Donalson said he catches himself on the bench worrying about how he’ll replace Moore after he graduates this spring.

“He’s one of the toughest kids I’ve coached,’’ Donalson said. “He works just as hard in practice every day as he plays in a game. His toughness is the kind a coach might see once in a lifetime. The other team can never relax when they have the ball if Josh is around. ’’

MacArthur coach Toby Martin said Moore is a true point guard because he is defensive minded and only takes open shots on offense. “He has a big impact on the game,’’ Martin said.

With the win, Nimitz (14-13) moved into solo possession of third place in District 6-5A with an 8-6 record and two games remaining.

“We had to have this one,’’ said Donalson. “This was huge. I’m so happy our players and fans are getting to be a part of this kind of success.’’

MacArthur (13-15) fell to fourth in 6-5A with a 7-7 record.

Offensively, Nimitz relied on 6-1 junior Israel Omigie (22 points) and 6-3 senior Trey Baldwin (18) to do the heavy lifting.

MacArthur’s 1-for-10 shooting and four turnovers in the third quarter put the Cardinals in a 15-point hole to start the fourth period, one that 6-5 junior Tavarius Shine helped to close when he scored 12 of his team-high 18 points in the final eight minutes. Shine’s 13 rebounds was a game-best.

“I thought we came out flat and played too much at Nimitz’s pace,’’ said Martin. “Early in the game, we didn’t commit to defense. Offensively, we’re much better when we take the ball to the basket and that’s what we did in the fourth quarter.’’

MacArthur’s last two games are against the teams immediately below in the standings, at home against Grapevine (6-8) on Friday and at Euless Trinity (7-8) on Tuesday.

Nimitz concludes with a visit to 6-5A leader Richland on Friday followed by a home game against Irving on Tuesday.

GIRLS: Irving MacArthur 77, Irving Nimitz 12:

Alexis Jones scored 14 of her game-high 22 points in the first quarter for a win that capped MacArthur’s second straight 16-0 record in District 6-5A.

MacArthur stretched its streak of consecutive district wins to 38.

“We’ve just had such a great chemistry with our kids,’’ said MacArthur coach Suzie Oelschlegel. “They have a love for the game that you just can’t coach or teach.’’

Defending state champion MacArthur (31-2), No. 1 in ESPNDallas.com's Class 5A Top 10, begins its title defense against Mansfield in a bi-district playoff at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Arlington Lamar.

COPPELL, Texas -- Keller Central has never been mistaken for a school with dominant athletics programs.

The young school's accomplishments have been few and far between, but after the 2011-12 school year, the Chargers may be hanging more than their fair share of banners.

On the heels of the football team's first playoff berth in school history, the boys basketball team has put together not just a good year, but a great year.

The highlight of that year may have occurred Tuesday when the Chargers clinched the District 7-5A title with a 43-41 win over rival Coppell, and they did it on Coppell's home court.

"It's surreal," said Central head coach Kit Pehl of clinching district. "To get it done tonight on their floor is a big deal to us. Coppell to us is a measuring stick. To do it at their place, we're ecstatic."

To clinch its district title, Central (25-7, 11-1 in 7-5A) had to survive a game between two smash-mouth, half-court teams, as Pehl put it.

The Cowboys (22-8, 8-4 in 7-5A) held a lead for much of the second quarter but coughed it up when Central guard Zach Sanchez hit a 3-pointer late in third quarter to put the Chargers ahead, 35-33, going into the fourth.

The two teams stared each other down for the final eight minutes before missed free throws by Central and a bucket by point guard Warren Oishi put Coppell within striking distance.

On the final possession of the game, Coppell dished it to big man Jeff Raines inside, but his shot went wide of the net to give Central the win.

"It was a scramble," said Central forward Joel Bolomboy of the last play of the game. "We had to step up on defense. Everybody was crazy and scrambling, but we ended up getting it done."

In the anticipated matchup between two of the area's 5A leading scorers among forwards, Raines scored eight and Bolomboy had 10.

"They kind of negated each other," Pehl said.

Coppell, always one of the toughest defensive teams in the area under coach Brad Chasteen, also limited Central's other two stars -- point guard Warren Sledge (five points) and Joel Engulu (four points).

Central guard J.R. Rogers ended up filling the void, scoring a team-high 12 points.

"He was huge tonight," Pehl said. "He made tons of big shots. If there was an X-factor tonight, it was J.R. Rogers without question."

Just as it was the entire game, the two teams fought to a standstill in the first half as no team held a lead of more than the six Coppell led by briefly in the second quarter.

With its array of defensive looks, Coppell ran man defense after running nothing but zone in its first meeting with Central -- a 54-49 Chargers win. That allowed Central to employ the motion offense it's most comfortable with, but Coppell's physicality still limited the Chargers.

They finally broke through with a 7-0 run that began in the third quarter and ended in the fourth. It gave Central the lead to set up Coppell's final possession.

"I figured it would come down to a defensive stand and sure enough that's what happened," Pehl said.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Whoever thinks style points are meaningless in high school basketball clearly hasn’t seen Fort Worth Trimble Tech hoop.

The No. 1 4A school in ESPNDallas.com's poll has not only gotten the job done so far in District 6-4A at an undefeated 14-0, but it also finishes with flair.

Tuesday, against Fort Worth Southwest’s full-court press, Trimble Tech had the opportunity to turn the game into a street-ball, trick contest in a 91-74 win.

“With today’s teenager, we give them a carrot, which is allowing them to be a little bit more free on offense as long as they give it to me on defense and rebound and hustle,” Trimble Tech coach Wendell Ivory said.

In the show that Trimble Tech likes to put on, the headlining act is senior guard Charles Hill, who threw down several monstrous dunks to add on to the many acrobatic layups he finished.

The TCU signee's energetic play sparked his team’s offense twice in the second half, once on a huge dunk in the third quarter that resulted in a small run that built up some separation between the teams and again in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach with a string of four baskets in a row.

“When you play a team like Southwest, they’re going to make runs, but you’re going to make runs," Ivory said. "The key is when you make your runs, you have to stay on top of them and limit their runs. But you’re going to get a bunch because they gamble on the defensive end.”

Southwest’s aggressive press created odd-man rushes for Trimble Tech that resulted in several easy baskets and a few alley-oop dunks.

Hill had a game-high 25 points and was joined in the 20-plus point club by teammate Jai Deng, who netted 23.

While normally allowing an opponent to score 74 points in a game would indicate poor defensive play, Ivory said Southwest’s style of high-tempo, transition offense forces a coach to accept the fact that points will be put on the board despite a good effort on the defensive end of the court.

Trimble Tech can clinch the district championship with one more win, giving the school a chance to prove itself and the quality of play Fort Worth has to offer in the playoffs. Defending its city includes protecting the tradition that was created many years before by a Fort Worth Dunbar coaching legend.

“Let’s just be honest: this is the city that Robert Hughes Sr. built," Ivory said. "As long as that legacy is here, we’re going to be OK, basketball wise. There are a lot of good players in the district.”

McKinney Christian's Kaelen Malone had quite a night against Dallas Lutheran last Friday. He hit buzzer beaters from 3-point range at the end of the second and third quarters and scored the winning bucket on a drive with five seconds to play in a 45-43 victory.

Jake Raulerson's voyage from Celina to Austin included 5,200 miles on the road, routine meals at Cracker Barrel and nights at Motel 6 and plenty of country music.

The junior Celina offensive tackle, perhaps the state's top recruit in the class of 2013, put plenty of time and money into his college research before committing to Texas last week.

William Wilkerson takes a closer look at Raulerson's recruiting trail over at HornsNation. Here's an excerpt:

Because Jake isn't a senior, all of the trips he took had to be paid for by him and his family. Prospects aren't allowed to take official visits (when schools pay your way) until their senior season.But the Raulersons thought it would be beneficial if they took the time, and spent the money, to let Jake experience these programs first-hand so he could make a commitment with a clear conscience, having left no stone unturned.

"I believe that it gave me an edge," Jake said. "It helps. Some families don't have the opportunity to go to all of these places (on unofficial visits). It helps. If you are from Texas and one of your favorite schools is Florida, Alabama or Tennessee, it's a long way from home. If you never get the chance to be able to see it, then you lose your advantage if you go there and commit and don't like it. It's because you never got the chance to look at it."

Jake was well aware of the monetary sacrifice that his family made for those trips, so he made sure to get his money's worth.

"I made sure I looked at every detail of everywhere I went," he said. "The coaches, the campus, the atmosphere. You could ask me one little thing about the schools, and I could tell you what I liked, didn't like. It gives me the upper hand in knowing what is right for me."

And for that, Jake is forever grateful.

Read the full story here.

ALLEN, Texas - In Allen, football is a lifestyle.

All you have to do is drive by the campus that houses one of the largest enrollments in the state and the peaks of the Eagles' new football stadium that is going to be the Cowboys Stadium of all high school venues in the country to see that.

Leading the pack of those who will christen the new Friday night temple is junior Oliver Pierce, who was the Eagles' second leading wide receiver with over 600 yards.

As one of the top athletes returning for his senior season, Pierce is first in line to replace Alec Morris at quarterback and line up under center in the state-of-the-art stadium.

However, Pierce is one of the few athletes in the Dallas suburb who places football second, despite his standout abilities. He might even miss two-a-days for the second year in a row to chase world fame in his true athletic calling -- wrestling.

"This sport is definitely the hardest sport there is," Pierce said. "Football, that's easy. That's my offseason. There's no doubt about it that it's the modern day gladiators."

Pierce joined the Eagles football team late last fall after representing the United States in the FILA Cadet World Championships in Hungary, taking fifth place in his weight class.

Pierce beat wrestlers from Mongolia and Canada to earn a spot in the bronze medal match but lost to Azamai Dauletbekov of Kazakhstan.

The world-traveling experience, which included time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., was worth more than its weight in gold, sliver or bronze to Pierce.

"No one really spoke English anywhere," Pierce said. "It was just a different culture. After weigh-ins, some kids didn't have anything to eat or drink so they would just pick up your water and start drinking it without asking if it was OK because they didn't speak English. It was a really fun experience interacting with people of different cultures."

Pierce returned to the United States just a day before Allen's season opener against Cedar Hill in the Tom Landry Classic and picked up a team-high 129 yards receiving and a touchdown in the Eagles' win. No big deal.

Now, with that "offseason" activity over, Pierce is focusing on returning to state in wrestling after a disappointing end to his sophomore year.

Last year in the state semifinals, Pierce suffered one of his very few career losses after catching his foot between the mats and breaking his ankle in the first period.

"He didn't show a lot of emotion or anything and we got a timeout and said he was fine and finished the match and lost 2-0," Allen wrestling coach Jerry Best said. "He took it like a man and didn't say anything, didn't use it as an excuse, just used it as motivation to come back this year and win another state title."

It was his first high school loss after he won a state championship as a freshman.

Pierce has the chance to finish out his junior and senior years with a bang. Last weekend, Pierce took first in his 152-pound weight class at the district tournament for the third straight year, helping Allen win another team title with 275 points.

It's one step closer to the state title Pierce needs to add to his collection of national and world awards.

He'll then have a chance to go 4-for-4 in district and have another shot at state next year. All that after leading the football team in the 2012 season in front of a national spotlight surrounding the new stadium. And then it's off to Oklahoma.

Pierce has already accepted a scholarship offer to wrestle for the Sooners, representing Texas on the collegiate level.

"It's a great group of guys to work out with and great people to be around and I wanted to put myself in that environment," Pierce said of the program at Oklahoma.

And on Friday nights next fall, if Allen fans are worried about Pierce's nerves on a national stage, he's already performed on the world stage -- and succeeded.

"[Football is] just having fun, that's the easy part," Pierce said.

What we got right: The majority of the 5A poll. Every team in the poll remained in this week, with just some minor readjusting due to a Plano West loss to Flower Mound. The basic shape of 4A remained the same, with a few slight shifts.

What we got wrong: Class 4A's finest. While previous No. 1 Highland Park did not lose this week, the Scots were taken to double overtime by McKinney North and failed to score a basket for a period of nine minutes and 40 seconds at the end of the game. Another consistent effort by Fort Worth Trimble Tech this week earned it the top spot in the 4A poll.

Say hello to: 5A - Nobody; 4A - Lancaster

Say goodbye to: 5A - Nobody; 4A - Trophy Club Byron Nelson

Your turn: Use the comments section to let us know what you think about these rankings.

Click here for girls rankings

What we got right: Almost all of the girls teams in last week's polls did what they needed to do to secure their positioning. All the teams in 4A remained the same.

What we got wrong: Dallas Skyline took an unexpected, nondistrict loss to THESA (home school), dropping the Lady Raiders to No. 10 in the 5A poll. In 4A, Rockwall caused a shake up after taking a one-point loss to McKinney North. The damage, however, was not as severe, dropping Rockwall to No. 6.

Say hello to: 5A - Sachse; 4A - Nobody

Say goodbye to: 5A - Arlington Bowie, 4A - Nobody

Your turn: Use the comments section to let us know what you think about these rankings.

Click here for boys rankings

DALLAS -- Any other year, beating Dallas Lincoln once would make for a successful season for Dallas Woodrow Wilson.

This year is different.

Woodrow (20-3, 8-1) beat District 12-4A rival Lincoln (13-11, 7-3) on Saturday for the second time this season, 72-63. However, the two wins are just a side note to the district championship that potentially looms in Woodrow’s future.

“It’s a good win for our program,” Woodrow coach Pat Washington said. “We’re making strides in the right direction, but today our guys just played basketball. They knew Lincoln was in the way of us potentially winning a district championship and they did what they had to do.”

Woodrow created some breathing room with a 9-0 run to end the first quarter with a 15-6 lead.

After the game, Washington gave high praise to guard Chance Houston, whose defense created several turnovers that translated into fast-break layups.

“The guy today was Chance Houston,” Washington said. “He had four or five steals. What he does defensively sparks and ignites us. I thought Chance did a heck of a job defensively today.”

Houston also pitched in 15 points. Point guard Trey Washington scored a team-high 18 for Woodrow.

Woodrow remains on top of District 12-4A, with its lone loss coming against Dallas Hillcrest. Hillcrest (20-4, 7-2) fell twice this year to Lincoln and is a game behind Woodrow.

Hillcrest and Woodrow play each other in the final game of the season, a clash that very well could decide the district title.

Having already lost to Hillcrest will serve as motivation for Trey Washington and Woodrow.

“Revenge,” Washington said. “That’s what we’re looking for -- revenge. Last time we let them beat us, but it’s not going to happen this time.”

CARROLLTON, Texas -- Carrollton Creekview students spent all night trying to get under RJ White's skin, singling him out with mean-spirited taunts and barbs.

Apparently that's the last thing you want to do to Frisco's leading scorer.

Fueled by the chants, White erupted in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 of his team-high 16 points in the final frame to lead Frisco to a 75-73 win over Creekview on Friday.

The win caps a remarkably good week for Frisco (20-9, 9-2 in 9-4A). The Raccoons beat Creekview and Frisco Centennial to join them in a three-way tie for first place in 9-4A.

"He's been doing what we've asked him to do for the last four years," Frisco head coach Andrew Steele said of White. "When you find that fire and you can get him mad at something, he gets to be a man-child out there and he's pretty hard to stop."

Creekview (19-12, 9-2) held a 64-58 lead heading into the fourth quarter after outscoring Frisco by 15 points in the third quarter. But the Mustangs' hot shooting didn't last. Frisco spent most of the final frame on a 13-3 run created by feeding White in the paint.

The senior gave Frisco the lead back with a three-point play with a little over two minutes remaining in the game, and Creekview missed a pair of shots in the final 20 seconds.

"Bottom line: We got fortunate at the end," Steele said.

If anger sparks White during games, he must get mad a lot. The 6-foot-7 senior leads Frisco in scoring (16 points per game) and rebounding (9 per game) and has helped Frisco overcome a sluggish start to district play.

The Raccoons opened 9-4A play with a losses to Carrollton Newman Smith and Centennial, but they've now won eight straight games, including victories over Newman Smith and Centennial.

White couldn't get much going in the first half against Creekview. Officials called a tight game through 16 minutes, doling out 30 total fouls in the first half.

"They blew it too much," White said of the referees. "I wish they would have let us play."

That hampered White's physical inside game, but Frisco's supporting cast stepped up to give the Raccoons a 46-37 lead at the break.

Including White, Frisco had six players with at least nine points -- Ryan Thomas (13), Kanetis Mays (10), Brady Culbertson (9), Adrian Singletary (9) and Kevin Stephens (9).

Creekview found its game in third quarter. Justin Cueto, who tweaked his ankle in the first half, came out on fire. Coupled with Stephen Buckner (24 points) and Ali Zia (14 points), Creekview turned a nine-point halftime deficit into a six-point lead in just eight minutes.

"I think during the first half our kids were too focused on the crowd, the officials, other things besides doing what we need to do on the basketball court," Creekview head coach Jonathan Ellis said. "We had to fire them up. We got after them."

But as the officiating loosened up, White was able to take advantage of his size in the paint.

And those pesky Creekview fans provided a little motivation, too.

"Knowing fans are talking, I just try to put up 30 a game," White said. "That's what got me going."

ARLINGTON, TEXAS -- Allen Gratts said he wasn’t sending a message to the starters of his Arlington Bowie boys basketball team when he benched them in the first quarter.

“They just didn’t deserve to be on the floor, they were playing so badly,’’ Gratts explained. “I told them they were going to get one more chance in the second quarter. And when they got back out there, it was like a different team.’’

Bowie, limited to six points in the first quarter, exploded for 27 in the second period and went on to breeze past host Arlington Lamar, 69-52, on Friday night in a matchup of the third- and fourth-place teams in District 4-5A. Coupled with a 57-56 Bowie home court win over Lamar on Jan. 10, the Volunteers completed a sweep of the Vikings.

North Crowley and Arlington Martin are 1-2 in in the 4-5A standings.

Lamar (11-15, 7-4 in 4-5A) still owns a one-game district lead over Bowie (12-18, 6-5) with three regular-season games remaining.

“We showed tonight that we want third place instead of fourth,’’ said Jeremy Senglin, who led Bowie with 16 points, 10 coming in the decisive second quarter.

The Bowie starters were 0-for-6 shooting in the first period and trailed 6-2 when Gratts went to his bench.

The same five made 8-of-18 shots in the second quarter, went 7-for-8 from the free throw line and forced nine Lamar turnovers to build a 33-21 halftime lead.

Lamar reduced the lead to single digits just once in the second half on a follow shot by Robert Sneed that made it 41-32 with three minutes to play in the third period. But Lamar couldn’t sustain its rally.

While Bowie struggled early, junior guard DaQuan Thomas helped the Vikings jump ahead, scoring seven of his team-high 16 points in the first quarter.

Gratts and Lamar coach Zach Burks have taken some lumps with young teams this season. Between the teams, there was only one senior starter on Friday.

Bowie gave North Crowley a tough game in 61-53 defeat on Tuesday and appears to be gaining playoff momentum.

“Our defense has been better the last two games,'' Gratts said. “In the second quarter we looked like a playoff team.’’

GIRLS: Arlington Lamar 52, Arlington Bowie girls 44

Senior guard Jasmine Dubose accounted for six of Lamar’s final eight points, including four free throws in the final 20 seconds, to help the Lady Vikings move into sole possession of second place in District 4-5A with one game remaining.

Lamar improved to 21-12 for the season and 11-2 in 4-5A.

Bowie (26-6, 10-3) was led by Ashley Ferguson’s 17 points.

“I’m excited for our girls,’’ said Lamar coach Erinn Levels. “We went into a game at Bowie in similar position last year and they beat us, so this is payback.’’

Lamar travels to Arlington Martin and Bowie hosts Weatherford to wrap up the regular season Tuesday.