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Flower Mound Marcus is not one of those high school basketball powers that brags about the number of points it scores.

Marcus players would rather emphasize the few points they allow. Leave the triple digits for programs like Houston Yates.

On the road to its third straight state tournament, Marcus has allowed an average of 45 points a game in five playoff victories.

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In 12 playoff games over the last two seasons, only three Marcus opponents have reached the 50-point plateau. No playoff opponent has scored more than 56 in that span.

Great defense, Marcus coach Danny Henderson preaches, gives a team a chance to win even in a below-average shooting performance.

In Marcus’ 39-38 victory over South Grand Prairie in the Class 5A Region I title game Saturday, senior guard Phil Forte went 1-for-10 from the field and fellow starting guard A.J. Luckey was scoreless on three shots and two free throw attempts. But on the defensive end, Marcus’ sagging man-to-man defense made things very tough on South Grand Prairie.

The Marauders forced 15 turnovers and held South Grand Prairie to 14 field goals on 35 attempts.

“Defense is what we do every day. That’s why we’re No. 1 in the state in defense,’’ said 6-foot-5 post Jared Hamilton, who shared responsibility of holding South Grand Prairie big man Chris Washburn to 12 points.

Henderson deflects the credit for Marcus' defense to assistant coach Kenny Boren.

“Kenny was the reason we switched Marcus Smart to Jovan Austin coming out of that last timeout,’’ Henderson said. “He’d been looking at tape for South Grand Prairie for two months and he was sure Austin would take the last shot.’’

Smart blocked Austin’s attempt to seal the victory.

Brandon Bennett should be in the conversation, if not the frontrunner, for area boys basketball coach of the year.

In just his third year at South Grand Prairie, Bennett guided the Warriors to a 35-3 season and their first regional appearance since 1986.

Each season, the team has shown improvement: 15-14 in 2009-2010 to 23-9 and a playoff berth last year leading up to this year’s run.

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It shouldn’t hurt Bennett’s chances that by Flower Mound Marcus coach Danny Henderson called him a “rising star’’ following Marcus’ 39-38 victory over South Grand Prairie in the Class 5A Region I championship game.

“I was very worried about this game because of Brandon Bennett,’’ Henderson said afterward. “He can coach. A lot of people have the talent he has, but he gets the most out of his guys.’’

When informed of Henderson’s comments, Bennett was gracious in praising his players and assistant coaches.

“It’s a great compliment,‘’ Bennett said, “but it is a testament to how hard my staff has worked and these guys have played all year. They make me look good.''

When Bennett took over, he remembers home games played in front of mostly empty seats. For the regional final in Fort Worth, the Warriors brought a very large fan base.

“We’ve come a long way,’’ Bennett said. “And we’re not finished.’’

Rockwall-Heath's catcher and ace pitcher are among the area players named to the ESPNHS preseason Texas all-state baseball team.

Jovan Hernandez, who tied the state record with 42-game hit streak last year, and Jake Thompson, who registered 131 strikeouts, represent Rockwall-Heath on the team.

Other Dallas-Fort Worth players named to the squad are Argyle shortstop Austin Aune, Rockwall shortstop/outfielder Spencer Edwards, Keller Fossil Ridge pitcher Sheldon Neuse and Fort Worth Southwest Christian pitcher Teddy Stankiewicz.

Click here to see the full team, including a list of other top players. Access the teams from all 50 states here.

Houston Beren Acadamy wasn't the only TAPPS team of note playing for a basketball state championship over the weekend.

Plano Prestonwood Christian and Arlington Grace Prep, both nationally ranked, won their classifications Saturday.

Prestonwood, No. 13 in the latest ESPNHS POWERADE FAB 50, beat Plano John Paul II 72-46 in the TAPPS 5A championship game.

In TAPPS 4A, Grace Prep, No. 28 in the FAB 50, took down No. 39 Houston Westbury Christian 77-57.

Fort Worth Calvary reached the TAPPS 3A final but lost 39-31 to Conroe The Woodlands Christian.

Dallas Ursuline was the only girls team from the area to win a title, edging Dallas Bishop Lynch 44-43 in the TAPPS 5A championship game.

Champion Duncanville took three of the five spots on the Class 5A girls basketball all-state tournament team.

Class 5A championship game MVP Empress Davenport was joined by fellow Pantherettes Morgan Bolton and Tasia Foman.

The Class 4A all-tourney team features two players each from champion Mansfield Summit and runner-up Rockwall. Class 4A championship game MVP Maya Hawkins and Jazzmin Jackson represent Summit on the team. Alyssa Lang and Paige Turner were honored from Rockwall.

Kynzie Newman and Presley Stastny of runner-up Celina made the 3A all-tourney team.

Here are the complete all-state tournament teams, as selected by the Texas Girls Coaches Association:

THURSDAY
Class 1A Division I Semifinals

• Clarksville (30-5) 55, Olton (27-9) 35
• Mumford (37-0) 73, Kerens (24-9) 49

Class 3A Semifinals

• Argyle (30-8) 41, Lubbock Estacado (27-8) 34
• Corpus Christi Miller (30-9) 59, Waco La Vega (35-2) 54

Class 4A Semifinals

• Dallas Kimball (33-5) 47, San Antonio Alamo Heights (34-3) 43
• Houston Yates (33-5) 87, Denton Ryan (23-12) 67

FRIDAY
Class 2A Semifinals

• Brock (30-7) 60, San Antonio Cole (31-6) 55
• White Oak (36-1) 67, Idalou (30-6) 45

Class 1A Division II Semifinals

• Graford (28-9) 74, Lenorah Grady (30-6) 63
• Calvert (26-7) 76, Roxton (29-7) 54

Class 5A Semifinals

• Fort Bend Travis (36-3) 85, Northside Warren (35-6) 72
• Flower Mound Marcus (38-2) 59, Garland Naaman Forest 34 (29-8)

SATURDAY'S FINALS

• Class 1A Division I: Clarksville (31-5) 65, Mumford (37-1) 47
• Class 3A: Argyle (31-8) 44, Corpus Christi Miller (30-10) 33
• Class 2A: White Oak (37-1) 61, Brock (30-8) 53
• Class 4A: Dallas Kimball (34-5) 78, Houston Yates (33-6) 75
• Class 1A Division II: Calvert (27-7) 63, Graford (28-10) 37
• Class 5A: Flower Mound Marcus (39-2) 56, Fort Bend Travis (36-4) 52

FORT WORTH, Texas -- An inspired comeback in the fourth quarter fell short Saturday night and a state title eluded the Orthodox Jewish high school basketball team from Houston the almost didn't get the chance to play in its state semifinal game.

Robert M. Beren Academy closed a 12-point deficit to two in the final minute, but could get no closer in a 46-42 loss to Abilene Christian in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools' Class 2A championship game at Nolan Catholic High School.

Two free throws by Abilene Christian's Daniel Austin with nine seconds remaining clinched victory and ended an unforgettable week of ups and downs for Beren.

"These are tears of happiness and sadness," said Mirwas afterward. "I'm happy that we got the chance and that I was able to stay true to myself and my beliefs. I'm happy TAPPS gave us the chance. It was a tough loss, but Abilene Christian was a heck of a team."

Beren had reason to doubt it would get the opportunity because both the semifinal and final were scheduled to fall within the Jewish Sabbath, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. Beren's appeals to change game times on Monday and Wednesday were turned down.

TAPPS relented on Thursday when it learned a group of parents from Beren were taking the matter to court. Site and game times were changed to accommodate.

"All we asked for was a chance and we got it," said Beren coach Chris Cole afterward. "Hats off to Abilene Christian. I'm proud of the way my guys handled everything all week. I think we showed we deserved to be here."

Read more here.

AUSTIN, Texas -- The Duncanville girls basketball team lived up to its coach’s expectations Saturday in the 5A state championship.

Duncanville jumped to a huge lead early and routed Spring Dekaney 69-31 for its seventh state title.

“This team doesn’t worry me,” Duncanville coach Cathy Self-Morgan said. “They make the right choices and they’ll celebrate with character tonight and do right.”

Duncanville (40-1) began the game on a 19-1 run and ended the first quarter with a 24-3 lead over Dekaney (39-2), which was held without a field goal in the opening frame.

The second was no better for Dekaney, which saw its shooting percentage sit at 5.9 percent while Duncanville shot just over .500.

Dekaney simply couldn’t find an open shot against Duncanville’s inspired full-court man defense, which forced 14 turnovers in the first quarter, including seven off steals. For the game, Duncanville converted 22 Dekaney turnovers into 22 points.

“We played as a team from start to finish and we played with heart and didn’t want to give up, and we got it,” Duncanville guard Empress Davenport said.

Davenport was quick to say the final score surprised her, but she’ll definitely take the win and the state championship on the floor of her future home as a Texas Longhorn.

Davenport had 17 points, three rebounds and three assists and was named MVP, but the award could have gone to any number of Duncanville players.

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Tasia Foman scored a game-high 21 points -- 18 of which came from 3-pointers -- and pulled down six rebounds. Morgan Bolton added 12 points, but she did most of her damage flying into the paint for seven rebounds despite her 5-foot-6 frame. Bolton also initiated the highlight of the game when she dished a behind-the-back pass to Davenport, who finished the layup and drew a foul.

“I think my whole team deserves a trophy because we played as a team and got it done,” Davenport said.

Duncanville increased its record for most 5A state titles with No. 7. However, this team did it differently than most of Self-Morgan’s past teams, which relied on tall post players to dominate the paint.

When the buzzer sounded at the Erwin Center on Saturday, this group of guards that turned into a coach’s dream completed a magical season in what amounted to an extraordinary way.

“I love this team," Self-Morgan said.

AUSTIN, Texas -- The remainder of Mansfield Summit guard Maya Hawkins' season was in jeopardy after she sustained a severe ankle sprain in January.

Hawkins missed three playoff games, but as Summit team continued to win she knew there was no way she could miss the state tournament.

Saturday, playing at about 90 percent, Hawkins gave an MVP-worthy performance in Summit's 45-42 win over Rockwall to claim the Clas 4A girls state title.

Hawkins scored a team-high 19 points and tied for the lead in rebounds with five. Hawkins also was a key factory in Summit’s suffocating defense in the fourth quarter.

“Tonight was by far the best she’s played in four playoff games,” Summit coach Tammy Lusinger said. “Her shot definitely came back after they wouldn’t even let her shoot a ball for four weeks.”

After making a third-quarter comeback on the shoulders of center Alyssa Lang, Rockwall kept the score tight for the majority of the fourth quarter.

Lang worked her way through Summit’s defense with spins and dribbles, forcing Summit to play an extremely tight man-to-man set -- a staple of Summit’s play all season.

“All 15 players on this team bust their hiney on defense and we commit to that year-round, it’s not just now,” Lusinger said. “They play and they play hard.”

Rockwall coach Jill McDill said Summit was one of the best defensive teams she’s ever faced.

“We just knew that defense wins games and we just told each other to make defensive stops, and that fired us up,” Hawkins said. “So when we set that goal to get a stop and we reached it, it just got everyone fired up and excited about it and it helped us on the offensive end.”

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Lang still finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds for Rockwall, but poor free throw shooting ultimately led to the demise of the Yellowjackets. Rockwall shot just 52.2 percent from the line (12-23), including just 37.5 percent in the second half. Rockwall missed three key free throws with under a minute to play and trailing by no more than two points.

“We haven’t shot very well from the free throw line this year at all,” McDill said. “Somehow we kind of escaped that in the playoffs.”

McDill, a girls state tournament veteran, has been on both sides of a state final. But for all Rockwall has overcome this year, from struggles in the regular season to dealing with injuries, she hopes her team views the weekend as a celebration of its own.

“I always stayed and watched the medals; watched someone celebrate and someone cry," McDill said. "It’s always better to be celebrating, but we’ll tell the girls it was great to be here.”

GARLAND, Texas -- Dallas Kimball head coach Royce "Snoop" Johnson had tears running down his face as he spoke to his team before it took the court against South Oak Cliff on Saturday.

While he didn't say much other than how proud he was of them, the emotion with which he expressed it reminded the players of all they have overcome in an up-and-down season and the bond they had formed in the process.

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Kimball channeled the energy of Johnson's speech from the opening tip and rolled to an 84-63 win over South Oak Cliff, a team it had lost to twice during the regular season.

The win puts Kimball (31-5) back in the state tournament a year after winning its first title under Johnson.

"Coach gave us some kind of sermon before the game," Kimball guard Keith Frazier said. "He said something to the team that just touched everybody. We just wanted to come out here and play hard and win the game for him."

Frazier was particularly sharp early in the game, contributing in all phases and scoring a game-high 26 points to go along with eight rebounds. He scored nine in the first quarter while South Oak Cliff (30-8) was still keeping pace.

"He told me last night, 'Coach I'm a little nervous but I'm going to get you out of here tomorrow,'" Johnson said of Frazier. "I looked him right in the eye and knew he meant it and that he was going to be a great player today."

Frazier's play highlighted the size advantage that Kimball used to dominated South Oak Cliff on the boards. Forwards D'Angelo Allen (14 points), Sheldon Yearwood (13) and Trent Brinkley (12) were too deep for the Golden Bears to match inside, and it led to a lot of second-chance points on offense and one-shot possessions on defense.

Allen's play may have been the biggest difference between Saturday's game and Kimball's previous two losses to South Oak Cliff. The sophomore battled injuries and eligibility issues during the regular season. He joined the team for the last two district games but has blossomed in the playoffs.

"The first time we played them, Trent and D'Angelo were out so our inside we were lacking in the rotation," Johnson said. "We knew we could go four or five deep inside and we knew they couldn't go that deep."

The Knights took control of the game in the second quarter, going on a 17-4 run that gave them a 42-32 halftime lead. South Oak Cliff didn't get one offensive rebound during that stretch.

And it only got worse after halftime for the Golden Bears. Kimball extended its lead to 19 points by the end of the frame, a deficit South Oak Cliff didn't seriously cut into before the final buzzer.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- The area showdown that high school basketball fans have talked about for a couple of months turned out to be worthy of the anticipation.

Flower Mound Marcus star Marcus Smart blocked a 3-point shot by South Grand Prairie’s Jovan Austin as time expired to secure a gritty 39-38 victory in the Class 5A Region I championship game Saturday afternoon in front of 2,000 fans at Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center.

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Marcus (37-2), the defending Class 5A state champion, earned a third straight trip to the state Final Four next weekend in Austin.

“To make it to state three straight years, not many can say that,’’ said Smart, who led all scorers with 19 points. “For the last few weeks all we’ve been hearing is that South Grand Prairie was going to take us down. A lot of people considered us the underdog today. South Grand Prairie is a great team, but we proved we still have the No. 1 defense in Texas.’’

South Grand Prairie (35-3) began its final possession under the Marcus basket and trailing by a point with 15 seconds remaining.

Marcus coach Danny Henderson made a defensive switch during the preceding timeout, putting Smart on Austin. A.J. Luckey had guarded Austin for much of the game, but had four fouls.

“We’ve been preparing for South Grand Prairie for two months because we knew this was day coming,’’ said Henderson. “We knew Austin would take the last shot and we wanted Marcus, with his extra height, to guard him.’’

After breaking token pressure in the backcourt, the Warriors moved 6-foot-8 post Chris Washburn to the 3-point line to set a pick for Austin.

“It’s a play they’d been using all day,’’ Smart said. “I went under the pick and got back to him quickly. I think I surprised him a little. By then the clock was at two and I knew he had to shoot. Because of my length, I was able to block it.’’

Too many times in that situation, the Oklahoma State signee said, defenders back off because they fear a foul will be called. “That’s a No. 1 mistake because when you don’t finish the play, that’s when they make the shot,’’ he said.

South Grand Prairie coach Brandon Bennett said the final play had three options: Washburn, rolling to the basket after the screen, Ben Emelogu in the corner for a 3-pointer or option No. 1 with Austin taking the shot.

“I thought we had the look we wanted,’’ said Bennett, who Henderson called an up-and-coming star in the field of coaching. “That’s why Smart is a McDonald’s All-American. There’s just so many things he can do to win a game.’’

South Grand Prairie’s final opportunity was set up by turnover by Marcus’ Nick Banyard. With a wide open dunk staring him in the face, the 6-foot-8 senior fumbled a pass out of bounds.

Reserve post Jared Hamilton accounted for Marcus' final points with a pair of free throws with 1:44 remaining to break a 37-37 deadlock. Hamilton had missed two free throws 40 seconds earlier.

“Coach Henderson could tell I was down on myself after missing the first two,‘’ Hamilton said. “He called me over and reminded me that I make them all the time in practice, and that got me to relax.‘’

The battle-tested Marauders got off to a quick 8-0 start, but South Grand Prairie, making its first regional tournament appearance since 1986, recovered, finally taking its first lead, 33-32, with a 3-point third-period buzzer beater by Washburn. The UTEP signee had 12 points and eight rebounds.

The Warriors’ lead went to three on an inside shot by Tyler Jacobs in the fourth quarter, but they missed a couple of chances to widen it.

Banyard (11 points) tied it with a 3-pointer with 3:40 to go.

The Warriors had one more lead, 37-35, on a runner by Austin with 3:10 to go. Smart tied it with two free throws 20 seconds later.

Following Hamilton’s free throws for the Marcus lead, Washburn made one of two foul shots with 33 seconds to go, his miss crawling across the basket before falling away.

“We’ve come a long way in a couple of years,’’ Bennett said. “I’m proud of what my guys have accomplished. South Grand Prairie isn’t going away.’’

Said Henderson: “South Grand Prairie is the toughest opponent we’ve played in this three-year stretch. But this group of guys I have, they’re winners. They do the things that winners need to do every day.’’

AUSTIN, Texas -- A hot shooting touch for Celina in the first half of Saturday's 3A girls state final couldn’t overcome a second-half push by Peyton Little and Abilene Wylie.

Wylie (36-5) took its second straight state championship with a 59-45 win over Celina at the Frank Erwin Center. It was Wylie’s third straight trip to the championship.

Celina (34-4) shot a scorching 52.9 percent in the first quarter. The Lady Cats put together one of the few runs in the first half in the middle of the second quarter, 6-0, but relinquished the lead before halftime.

Celina forward K.J. Stastny couldn’t convert on the first shot of a 1-and-1 with seconds left in the half and the score tied at 23. With 0.4 seconds remaining, Hailey Brown hit one of her free throws to give Wylie a 24-23 halftime lead.

It would be a sign of things to come in the second half for Celina.

Wylie lengthened its lead in the beginning of the half, putting together a 7-1 run after Little found her scoring touch. Wylie would improve on a 33.3 shooting percentage in the first half to shoot 50 percent in the second.

Celina couldn't keep up, falling to 33.3 percent in the second half.

Another 9-0 Wylie run, spanning from the end of the third into the fourth, would be the final blow needed for Wylie to capture another title.

Little, a Texas A&M signee, finished with 33 points and captured her second straight MVP award after setting the 3A championship game scoring record last year with 43 points.

Wylie head coach Tri Danley couldn’t help but gush over his four-year starter after the game.

“There’s very few players like Peyton,” Danley said. “We’re going to look back 10 years from now and I’ll thank God I got to coach her and these players will be thankful they got to play for her.”

Danley said he hopes to be able to follow up on his promise to let Little keep her uniform to honor her contributions to the Wylie program.

Right behind Little’s effort in scoring was Brown’s work guarding Celina’s offensive standout Kynzie Newman, who was held to just five points in the game.

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“[Brown] was guarding me and she was pretty quick so it made it very difficult to get open,” Newman said.

Celina coach Jordan Davis tipped her cap to Wylie’s ability to hit shots in traffic. In the end, it was Wylie’s defense that proved to be stronger.

“Defense apparently wins championships and that’s what happened right there,” Davis said.

Check in throughout the day for updates on this year's state championship games from the Erwin Center in Austin. For in-game updates follow me on Twitter: @espn_tlbrown.

Class 1A Division I

Sudan 70, Martin's Mill 40

• Sudan wins its second state championship in four seasons, with the last coming in 2009.
• Danielle Logan led Sudan in scoring with a game-high 36 points.
• Sudan shot 48 percent in the championship game.

Class 3A

Abilene Wylie 59, Celina 45

Class 2A

Brock 52, Poth 49

• Brock wins its fourth straight state title and seventh since 2000.
• TCU signee Kamy Cole led Brock in scoring with 19 and picked up a double-double with 10 rebounds. Ashley Fuller led Poth with 15.

Class 4A

Mansfield Summit 45, Rockwall 42

Class 1A Division II

Neches 60, Lipan 41

• Neches claimed its third straight state title, advancing to a 34-5 record.
• Roddricka Patton led Neches in scoring with 31 points.
• Shauna Coleman was the team-high scorer for Lipan with 18.

Class 5A

Duncanville 69, Spring Dekaney 31

AUSTIN, Texas -- Celina survived the long road to reach the 3A girls state championship game, but the toughest test still lies ahead.

Celina will face defending state champion Abilene Wylie and the pride of their program, Peyton Little, on Saturday at 10 a.m.

Wylie has reached the state final each of the past three years, losing to Texarkana Liberty-Eylau, 70-68 in 2010, and winning last year’s title over Lucas Lovejoy, 66-58.

It was in last year's state final that Little, a Texas A&M signee, set the record for most points in a Class 3A championship game with 43. Little, a four-star recruit, is listed as the No. 29 high school player nationally by ESPN Hoopgurlz.

And it’s Little that Celina will have to battle in the title game Saturday. That doesn’t just mean the talented scorer herself, but what she has meant to the Wylie program over the past four years and to her teammates in the locker room. Coach Tri Danley said this second state title wouldn’t be for the program as much as it will be to honor Little’s high school career.

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“This is it for her," Danley said. "Those 12 girls in that locker room know that and they will go through that wall for her, and she’s going to do the same. That’s all I can ask them to do.”

Little said she can’t imagine what the feeling will be like taking off the Wylie jersey for the last time, but if Wylie wins, she might not have to find out.

“If she wins, we’re going to let her have [her jersey],” Danley said.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- South Grand Prairie survived a barrage of 3-pointers to beat El Paso Hanks, 56-53, Friday night.

Hanks' Christian Velasquez stole the show with 18 of his 20 points from beyond the arc, but SGP controlled the fourth quarter to hold on.

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"We didn't play solid defense," South Grand Prairie head coach Brandon Bennett said. "We left people wide open and they knocked their shots down."

Chris Wasburn led South Grand Prairie with 15 points. He said his team struggled to guard the Knights on the perimeter until the fourth-quarter adjustments.

"We just started running them off the line and forcing them to come in," Washburn said.

The Knights couldn't score in the paint against the 6-foot-8 Washburn. He had several key blocks late in the game, but was also forced to guard against the 3-pointer.

Washburn was unstoppable early on, scoring the first six points of the game to help the Warriors to a 15-9 lead after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, El Paso caught fire. The Knights made four 3-pointers to go up 29-26 heading into the locker room.

The teams went back-and-forth in the third quarter. With South Grand Prairie down 39-37, Washburn dived for a loose ball and called a timeout with 16 seconds left. Jayrn Johnson hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Warriors a one-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Warriors dominated on defense in the fourth quarter. Clutch free throws helped South Grand Prairie go on an 11-3 run to go up 53-44 with less than two minutes left.

"We made adjustments to slow it down," Bennett said. "We were moving way too fast, and that's not what we want."

El Paso Hanks hit two big 3-pointers to bring the Knights within 56-50 with 30 seconds left.

Velasquez hit his last 3-pointer with five seconds left in the game to bring the game within three.

South Grand Prairie secured the inbound pass and the Knights couldn't foul before the buzzer.

Velasquez was disappointed in the loss, but said he was proud of the way his team came to play against the POWERADE FAB 50 No. 44 team in the nation.

"People doubted us from the beginning," Velasquez said. "Knowing that we hung in with one of the best teams in the country, it means a lot to us."

The senior guard said he doesn't know where he wants to play college basketball yet, but he'll bring his work ethic with him. He says he even puts basketball before lunch.

"Every day, I go in at lunch and shoot 300 shots before I go eat," Velasquez said. "My last challenge, I wanted to go out big. I think all my hard work paid off this year."

The win sets up a highly-anticipated matchup between South Grand Prairie and Flower Mound Marcus in the Region 1 final. The ESPN Dallas Top 10's best two teams play Saturday at 1 p.m. at Fort Worth's Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center.

"I'm really excited," Washburn said. "This is what everyone came to see out here."