Heading into the Texas high school basketball playoffs, since the calendar flipped over from 2017 to 2018, the Humble Wildcats had not lost a game.
Despite a close call in the first round of the playoffs, that streak continued this week with two more wins, the last one a 65-53 win over Texas City, and the Wildcats moved ever closer to the 5A state tournament.
In their first playoff game, against Nederland this past week, the Wildcats narrowly escaped with a 45-44 win after Nederland had several chances at victory in the game’s final moments.
Last Friday, though, was a different story as Humble, playing Texas City at Phillips Field House, would need no last second heroics.
After a first half that ended with the teams tied at 26, the third quarter was the difference.
Humble set the tone right away in the third quarter with a 9-2 opening burst, capped off by a Kendrick Washington three pointer which put the Wildcats up 35-28.
The Wildcats then ended the third on a 10-2 run, led by Jaylon Alsanders and Justin Lawson, to take a 45-34 lead after three.
The Stingarees did not threaten the Wildcats again after that, only cutting the lead under 10 points one more time at the very start of the fourth quarter.
Scoring wise, the Wildcats were led by Alsanders, who scored 20 points, Lawson who scored 16 and Kendrick Washington who chipped in 11.
In the regional quarterfinals on Tuesday, the Wildcats will face off with Port Arthur Memorial, who themselves have not lost since 2018 started; in fact the Titans have won 21 straight games dating back to early December.
The winner of Tuesday’s matchup will face either Whitehouse or Pflugerville Connally in the regional semifinals.
