SAN ANTONIO – The Pantherettes got back on top of the girls basketball podium, only one year from being banned from the playoffs by the UIL. Senior Mariah Clayton was voted state champ MVP with a game-high 19 points on 6 of 13 shooting, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal as Duncanville pulled away from South Grand Prairie 59-41 in the Class 6A championship on Saturday at the Alamodome.
Duncanville captures the program’s 12th title – third most all-time.It was the Pantherettes 27th tournament appearance and 18th time going to the final game.
Their 12 titles trail Nazareth (25) and Canyon (20).
Senior Chloe Mann, a Cincinnati signee, chipped in 13 points and went 8 of 12 from the free-throw line. Kaylinn Kemp added nine. Duncanville shot 24 of 37 from the stripe.
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Just before the start of the 2022-23 season, Duncanville was ruled ineligible for the post-season after breaking UIL violations. They were banned for the playoffs for one year and their coach LaJenna Howard was put on suspension.
Then rolled in Neiman Ford, who was an assistant for the boys squad.
Now he can say he’s won titles with both teams.
He won two for the Panthers under David Peavy since coming on in 2018.
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Duncanville struggled in the first half.
The Pantherettes trailed 8-0 to start and 16-11 after the first quarter. They only scored six points in the second, but held SGP to two points on just three attempts. SGP led 18-17 at the intermission.
Then Duncanville pulled away.
They outscored SGP 18-9 in the third and 24-14 in the fourth (42-23 after half). They had a +15 from the three-point line going 5 of 9 in the second half while SGP missed all five attempts. They were also 15 of 22 at the line while the Warriors only went 3 of 6.
Junior Taylor Barnes led SGP with 10 points. It was SGP’s third trip to state all in the past four years. The Warriors also reached the championship game in 2022 – losing to DeSoto. Barnes, Taliyah Parker (A&M) were named to the all-tournament team. Duncanville’s Mann and Clayton also made it.
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