The Cooldown: Week 26
The Cooldown- 2021 Week Twenty-Six
To say that last week was a challenging one for Texans would be an understatement. Record low temperatures combined with the loss of power for many led to disaster all across the state. When things get tough, Texans tend to rally together and support one another. Former Euless Trinity star Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers did just that by raising money for much-needed relief. He generously matched the money donated, as did the NBA Players Association, to donate a grand total of over $76,000! Speaking of Trinity, the Trojans have a playoff game on Monday night against Keller in what should be a great matchup. Many bi-district playoff games got pushed to Monday night, but some elected to play on Saturday. Let’s take a look at who has moved on in the playoffs to this point.
Hebron claims last playoff spot in District 6-6A
We’ll start with a play-in game from Saturday. Plano upset Coppell last week to force a play-in game with Hebron for the last playoff spot in District 6-6A. Hebron downed Plano 43-39 behind 15 points from Alex Cotton and nine points from Nate Mercer. The Hawks reward is getting to play a red-hot McKinney team that has been one of the most impressive teams in the metroplex this season.
Coppell eliminates Allen
Coppell has been one of my favorite teams to watch over the last two seasons. The Cowboys “Big Three” showed out once again with Anthony Black leading the way, pouring in 26 points and adding a showstopping dunk. Ryan Agarwal finished with 20 points and Nazir Brown added seven points. Coppell dusted Allen 64-46 and will face the winner of Arlington Lamar and Lake Highlands in the next round.
Lovejoy outlasts Frisco Memorial
Lovejoy outlasted Frisco Memorial 52-51 after a high scoring fourth quarter. The Leopards outscored Memorial 23-21 in the final frame. Mitchell Weaver led the way for Lovejoy with 18 points and Carson Holden added 17 points. Avery Jackson dropped 14 points for Memorial with Drew Steffe finishing with 13 points in a valiant but ultimately losing effort. Lovejoy will face South Oak Cliff in the next round.
Player of the Week
My player of the week is Coppell’s Anthony Black! It was a short week with not many games played due to the weather, but Black shined on Saturday. The talented junior dropped 26 points and had one of the best dunks of this season in a win over Allen. The dual sport star will need to continue the big performances throughout the playoffs but will have plenty of help from Agarwal and Brown as well.
Team of the Week
My team of the week is the Lovejoy Leopards! Lovejoy’s one-point win over Frisco Memorial extended its season a few more days when the Leopards will face another tough test against South Oak Cliff. Weaver and Holden have been a great one-two punch for Lovejoy all season long, but will they be enough against the Golden Bears? We’ll find out later this week!