ESPN

Seniors Reggie Sonnier and Aubrey Ball led Carrollton Creekview on Friday night as it handed Richardson Berkner its first District 9-5A loss of the season.

Sonnier led all scorers with 22 points and Ball added 21 as Creekview beat the Rams, 77-71, in the friendly confines of Carrollton. The victory avenged a 66-57 loss on Dec. 22 at Berkner.

However, Creekview head coach Johnathan Ellis said his senior leaders weren’t the only reason the Mustangs (19-8, 7-2) beat Berkner, ranked No. 20 by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches 5A poll. It wasn’t what Sonnier and Ball brought to the game, but what the Rams (23-5, 8-1) didn’t.

“I think this game was very similar to the first one,” Ellis said. “It’s difficult to play on the road. Berkner is a tough place to play. They have a lot of loud fans, and they got their team fired up.”

Ellis added that the Mustangs benefited from strong shooting early in the game, aided by a renewed emphasis on attacking the basket rather than settling for jump shots.

Sonnier and Ball have been getting the job done all season long. Sonnier, a 6-foot-4 wing player, has led Creekview on the season with 19.3 points and 6.3 rebounds, and he uses his athleticism to cause teams fits on both sides of the ball. Playing even longer than his frame with a 6-9 wing span, he averages two steals and a block per game.

He’s known for slashing to the basket but has also hit 41 treys on the year.

Ellis and the Mustangs call Ball “the head of the snake,” because he leads the team on the floor and does a bit of everything, averaging 16 points, five rebounds and 5.3 assists. Built like a strong safety, the 6-foot-2 point guard can post up and bull smaller guards right into the lane.

Sonnier has already signed with Arkansas-Little Rock, while Ball has received interest from Stephen F. Austin and Santa Clara.

“They’re both dynamic players, and they not only have the ability to score by themselves, but to find way to get their teammates shots,” Ellis said. “It’s not just about how much they score. They always seem to keep a steady head.”

Creekview finds itself a game behind Berkner in the 9-5A standings, alone in second place. Not only did Creekview lose its first game at Berkner, but the Mustangs got hammered at Richardson, 63-47, on Jan. 22.

Ellis said that Richardson played outstanding defense in the game and forced Creekview into poor shooting, but the Mustangs also struggled with the absence of three players. Back-up point guard Bobby Kennedy had torn his anterior cruciate ligament in the previous game, and starting forward Nick Moody and sixth man Rob Marshall were both on recruiting trips.

Creekview must now wait and hope to climb into a first-place tie.

“Unfortunately, all we can do is worry about ourselves,” Ellis said. “We need to concentrate on winning our next five and not on what Berkner does. If somebody can help us out, that’d be great. But Berkner is a very good team, and it would surprise me to see them lose another district game.”