In their first game at the UIL boys basketball state tournament in 10 years, the Ponder Lions took down #8 Holliday 62-46 in the Class 3A state semifinals on Thursday at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Ponder was ranked #6 in the final regular season state rankings.
Ponder (37-6) will play for the 3A state championship at 10 am Saturday.
Holliday ends at 34-3.
Carter Eddy led Ponder with 18 points on 6 of 10 shooting, four three-pointers, four rebounds and four assists. Three others scored in double figures: Max Hutcherson (15), Jace Sullivan (10) and Timber Crider (10. The Lions shot 23 of 37 from the field with 10 threes, 18 rebounds and 22 assists.
Holliday was led by Ashtyn Berry’s 21 points and Keiten Bristow’s 20.
Eddy went 4 of 6 from three – 66.7% which is tied for third best percentage from three in 3A state tournament history. As a team, Ponder posted 22 assists – tied for most in a 3A tourney game with Ponder’s 2009 team which went on to win the title. The Lions shot 62% from the field (third best), hit 10 threes (tied for most) and shot 53% from deep (third best).
This is Ponder’s 9th trip to the state tournament with titles in 2001, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2014.
In 2014, the Lions won the 2A crown 66-56 over Tatum.
Both teams were neck and neck in the opening quarter and were tied 15-15 entering the second. Both teams shot 60%+ in the first eight minutes and combined to shoot 11 of 18 from the field. They combined to hit five three-pointers.
Then Ponder’s defense and Holliday’s struggles came in the next two quarters.
Holliday was held to 9 in the second and 7 in the third and Ponder took a 43-31 lead into the fourth. Holliday shot 7 of 16 in that span. Ponder missed just three shots in the final stanza (6/8 FG, 1/2 3PT, 6/6 FT). Holliday committed 10 turnovers and Ponder scored 19 points off those turnovers.
Eddy scored 13 points on 5 of 7 from the field in the first half.
Benjamin beat Gordon and Jayton beat Fayetteville in the early games on Thursday (Class 1A).
