COLORADO CITY, TX -- The Christoval Lady Cougars used a stout first half defense to hold Seagraves in check for a 50-33 win in the class 2A region I quarterfinals on Tuesday.

The win booked Christoval’s spot in the 2A regional tournament for the first time in four years.

“It means a lot,” said senior forward Kayce Jackson, who played on the 2016 regional tournament team. “That was my goal going into the season. I wanted my team to band together and do really well so we could get back. Because, the last time we went was my freshman year and I think it’d be fun to go out with a bang.”

Seagraves was riding sky-high after upsetting no. 6-ranked Haskell in the area round of playoffs a few days ago. Heading into Tuesday’s matchup, Christoval head coach Scott Richardson knew defense was going to be paramount.

“This gives us all the confidence in the world,” Richardson said. “You keep winning, it grows and snowballs. Right now, we’re snowballing in the right direction.”

So, after a Seagraves’ three-pointer brought them within 8-6 early in the first quarter, Christoval put the clamps on midway through the first. Seagraves would not score again until 3 minutes, 45 seconds left in the second quarter and failed to score a field goal in the second quarter.

“Our kids love defense,” Richardson said. “So, I told them to buy into their identity and that’s exactly what they did. That’s the reason we won this game.”

Sophomore shooting guard Graci Jones capped off an 8-0 run to close out the first with a corner three-pointer to put Christoval up 16-6 entering the second. Jones would finish tied with Jackson at 13 points. Allison Vaughn showcased her vision well and scored a game-high 14 points.

Jones plays with the right mix of youthful exuberance and seasoned intelligence, as she put on display on Tuesday. Having a player like that on the floor is just what the doctor ordered for a team with just one senior starter.

“[Graci’s] earned it,” Richardson emphasized. “She lives in the gym, she works. So, everything we see on the court, it’s just an extension of how great they’ve been outside of practice. I’m glad to see her rewarded for that.

After the second quarter where the two teams combined for 11 total points, Christoval never looked back and outscored Seagraves 28-22 for their first regional tournament berth since 2016.

Christoval will play at 1:00 p.m. this Friday against the Stratford-Panhandle winner at South Plains College’s Texan Dome.

No. 1 Wall Edges No. 8 Shallowater to Avenge 2018 Playoff Loss

The no. 1-ranked Wall Lady Hawks moved one step closer to a return to San Antonio with a narrow 47-43 win over no. 8 Shallowater on Tuesday.

The win came in the regional quarterfinals, where Wall lost to Lubbock Roosevelt last year.

Both teams exploded offensively in the first quarter as Wall took a 20-14 lead behind four team three-pointers and six points from Jayden Fiebiger.

Fiebiger and Sawyer Lloyd would team up in the second and combined for eight points as Wall's lead grew to 31-22 entering halftime.

Shallowater cut into Wall's lead by outscoring the top-ranked Lady Hawks 9-6 in the third quarter. They continued that trend and outscored Wall 12-10 in the fourth, but couldn't muster enough to complete the comeback.

Lloyd finished as the game-high scorer for the Lady Hawks with 11 points. Fiebiger also scored double figures with 10 points.

Wall (30-1) will face Brock at 6:00 p.m. in the Region I semifinal at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview.

Mason Cowgirls Dominate Somerville to Move on to Regional Tournament 

The Mason Cowgirls demolished the Somerville Lady Yegua 57-22 behind Ruby Magnus’ 17 points. 

Mason came out with a tough cowgirl attitude as they only allowed one basket in the quarter. They also scored with ease as Magnus and Tessa Guice had 13 of their 21 points as they led 21-3. 

Mason didn’t let up after an early lead as they once again only allowed single digit points. Magnus had another eight points in the quarter to extend their lead to 38-7. 

The Lady Yegua’s made their run to attempt to comeback at the start of the second half. They were able to get to the free throw line and make all but one. They were also able to keep the cowgirl duo to a measly two points. The comeback didn’t cut into the lead at all though as Mason lead the game 53-18 going into the fourth quarter. 

Mason played with a killer instinct in the fourth quarter. They were able to score from all around the floor, and only allowed four points. The Cowgirls took the win 57-22. 

Ruby Magnus had 17 points.

This story will be updated