HS Boys Basketball Playoffs: Cavaliers Earn Regional Title Through Hard-Fought Victory

LUFKIN, TX -- The College Park Cavaliers fended off the scrappy Mesquite Horn Jaguars in an intense 66-63 Regional Rinal win on Friday

College Park’s previous win, which involved lopsided rebounding in their favor, gave the team insight into a potential game plan to increase its chances of winning against the scrappy Jaguars.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Cavalier Head Coach Clifton McNeely discussed what the team learned in their Regional Semifinal victory and the team’s best plan ahead of another matchup.

“I thought we just had to do many of the same things,” iterated McNeely. “Defensively, we knew we had to take their best guard out of the mix… and we had to have a belief in our kids.”

Before they even tipped off, the Cavaliers had a size advantage over Horn. Post players like Jacob Oman and Evan Mason would have nearly complete control around the rim against the outmatched Jaguar bigs.

Horn countered College Park’s size by stretching the floor on their early offensive possessions. Mismatches with the Cavalier bigs around the three-point line opened chances for the Jaguar shooters to sink the shots they found.

The talented Cavalier wings lightly matched the barrage of threes, which led to five lead changes in the opening four minutes of play.

College Park’s offense tried to take advantage of Oman and Mason in the paint, but staunch resistance from the quick Horn defenders made the passing lanes dangerously slim.

The back-and-forth scoring and lack of inside game for either team meant both teams were unconscious from behind the three-point line. Nine combined threes from the battling squads ensured an intense, high-scoring start to the fourth round.

Horn’s shooting was so strong that it ensured a 20-18 lead at the end of the first quarter. Their offense was strong, but the Cavaliers were doing everything in their power to keep pace.

The second quarter saw much of the same from Horn, with the Jaguar shooters trying to take advantage of offensive spacing to set up their three-point shooters.

However, a dip in early makes gave a slim window for the Cavs to battle back in the early going, and the veteran College Park players seized the opportunity by finally pushing their advantage inside.

Two dunks from Oman in the opening minutes drove home the strong hand College Park was playing with. The outmatched Jaguars tried in vain to contest the blue and silver big on the offensive glass, but to no avail.

Fortunately for Horn, their shooters found enough of a stroke to maintain their two-possession lead as play continued. Dribbles to the baseline set up opposite-side shooters for wide-open looks they buried despite the intense environment.

A ceaseless effort from the Cavaliers in the open floor slowed up the Jaguar attack enough to prevent a total runaway. Sneaky attempts at steals from Ian Inman and Aiden Buckmon harrassed the Jaguars into committing a handful of costly errors.

Horn’s occasional error paired in tandem with a rapidly surging Cavalier offense to produce a game-high 8-0 College Park run before the end of the half.

The late Cavalier run was strong enough to swing the lead to their side for the first time since early in the first quarter. The team’s late effort rewarded them with a 32-28 lead going into the half, but it would quickly fall out of favor if the same push was not maintained through the rest of the game.

The time to strategize in the locker room allowed the Jaguars to play with a drastically different defensive approach to start the second half.

A suffocating full-court press caught the Cavaliers off-guard as they attempted to work the ball up the floor. Two early steals and transition layups sent Horn on a 4-0 run that quickly tied the teams at 32 apiece just seconds into the third.

Horn’s defensive play carried over to their standard set where they relentlessly went after whoever had the ball. Traps and poking hands stripped at the ball and kept the Cavaliers scoreless through the first four minutes of play.

With the lead lightly to their side, the Jaguars took a methodical approach to their offensive possessions. Horn passed with patience while looking for the exact shots needed to keep the momentum on their side, but misses and a handful of turnovers gave the Cavs another fighting chance.

Looking for any spark on offense, Inman started to take shots regardless of who was guarding him. Tightly contested shots went up for the senior guard, but his experience and steady aim saw him sink back-to-back threes for a personal 6-0 run that recaptured the lead at 38-34.

Soon, other guards like Tyson Forrest and Buckmon joined the scoring procession that revamped the stands littered with supportive Cavalier fans.

Completing the third quarter control for the Cavs was an end-to-end effort on the defensive end. The guards clamped down on the once hot Jaguar shooters while Oman swatted anything that went up inside the paint.

The Cavalier surge secured the team its biggest lead of the night, with eight points and multiple possessions separating College Park from Horn.

Potent momentum and energy permeated through the Cavalier players, coaches, and fans as the buzzer sounded to end the third quarter.

A 44-37 College Park lead was a slight step down from the previous high, but it was enough to keep the team optimistic heading into the final eight minutes of play.

“When you looked at them, you could see in their faces they were going to find a way to win this game,” said McNeely. “There was no doubt in their faces.”

Unlike the mostly defensive third quarter, the final eight minutes opened with a scoring wave that heightened the already sky-high tension.

An early three from Inman kept his numbers coming, but a responding 5-0 run from Horn was enough to bring the score back down to two points.

Fortunately for the Cavs, a well-called timeout from McNeely refocused the team for another possession that was capped off with an impressive Inman three.

“Ian and Aiden are studs,” said McNeely. They make everything go for us. They had a great ball game tonight.”

Seemingly aiding College Park in their closing effort was a defensive switch by Horn.

The previously intense Jaguar press was reeled into a man-to-man set that tried to create steals in one-on-ones. Instead of creating steals, it gave the talented Cavalier shooters space to operate from range while putting Horn in deep foul trouble.

But even with space, a slight scoring drought from the Cavs got the Jags back within striking distance on the scoreboard.

Horn’s offensive approach was to shoot the ball relentlessly from behind the arch. The sheer number of shots ensured that some fell, bringing the Jaguars back within a single possession of tying.

Seconds ticked by with the Jags trying to inch back on the scoreboard. The major undoing of Horn’s push was the number of fouls committed by the team on defense. Five team fouls before two minutes left guaranteed that each ensuing foul by the Jags would put a Cavalier at the line.

The balanced battle continued into the late seconds of play, with the Jags taking advantage of back-to-back and one buckets.

A big-time three got the team within two before a contested layup hit the mark, along with the ensuing free throw to get Horn its first lead in almost two full quarters.

Just over one minute to reclaim the lead gave College Park flashbacks of their first two playoff games, but it did not faze the players on the floor. A clever dish inside to Mason teetered the delicate 57-56 lead back to College Park’s side with a stop needed in the final 50 seconds to cushion the potential win.

The lead immediately came under pressure due to a defensive foul from the Cavs just seconds after a Horn timeout.

The fifth team foul from the Cavs put Horn at the line with a chance to secure the late lead, and both shots were buried to put the Jags in front 58-57.

With the Cavs needing a response, they trusted Buckmon to crash the rim and force a foul or make with less than 30 seconds left. The Jags fouled, but the unshakable guard missed his second shot that would have given College Park a lead.

Horn secured the rebound and called a timeout with 14 seconds remaining to crown a winner.

The Jaguar possession out of the timeout set the team up with their halfcourt offense to make a bucket to win. Dribbling ate too much clock for a reliable shot, and a rushed three missed the mark.

The 58-58 deadlock sent shockwaves through the Panther Activity Center as the squads prepared for overtime.

“The biggest thing is that our guys believe in themselves and each other,” said McNeely. “They don’t want to let each other down, and I appreciate that because I know that’s a lot of hard coaching from myself and the other coaches.”

Both fanbases were on their feet ahead of the four-minute overtime period. Composure and execution in the face of almost overwhelming pressure would determine who came out on top.

An excellent read from Buckmon off the tip got the senior to the line, where he sank both shots for a two-point Cav lead.

Horn responded by drawing a foul on their possession, but the experienced push from College Park got the team started stronger.

Oman took the next Cav possession to the rim, where he hit the close shot through the foul and drained the and one for a quick four-point lead.

Not wanting to lie down and come up short, the Jags fought back by attacking the basket while reinstating the full-court press. Horn’s shift did ramp up the pressure, but the Cavs were ready and battled through.

Time passed with neither team mounting game-sealing momentum. College Park’s 64-61 lead was solid, but a single make could tie the game back up.

A Jaguar drive at the rim brought the game to a single point separating the two before a costly Cav turnover could have sunk the team entirely.

Luckily, Oman’s rock-solid rim protection swatted the shot that would have put the Jags in front by a point. The block deflected off a Jag before heading out of bounds, keeping the ball and a slight lead with College Park.

17 seconds and possession forced Horn to ramp up their defensive intensity to force a steal on the inbound or a foul with little time expired. Risky passes kept the ball away from the Jags momentarily, but an eventual foul to Buckmon sent the Cav to the line.

Ice in Buckmon’s veins cooled the shooter while he nailed both free throws to put the team up by three with less than five seconds remaining.

Horn called a timeout on their side of the floor to set up a potential game-tying shot before the buzzer. An airball on the rushed attempt completely missed the mark, and the Cavaliers erupted in a tremendous cheer for their hard-fought 66-63 win.

“The big thing is that the players have to rest, and we have to be smart as coaches in terms of our preparation,” said McNeely. “We have to come back Monday and be prepared, but it’s the last week of the season, and we’re still standing. I can’t ask for anything better.”

The Cavaliers add Regional Champion to their list of accolades while they await the winner of the Denton Guyer and Frienship in the State Final Four.