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AUSTIN - For most of three quarters, the Hearne Eagles hogged the road to the UIL Boys Basketball State Championships.
But late in the third quarter, New Waverly sped by, winning the Class 2A Region IV championship between District 26-2A teams 68-61 on Saturday at the Delco Center.
"We knew each other's weak and strong points, and we attacked them," Hearne coach Brodrick McGrew said. "They got into their press, and when we didn't break it and had turnovers, they were going to capitalize on them."
By the time Hearne's Forrest Rucker hit a runner midway through the third quarter, New Waverly was barely a speck in the Eagles' rearview mirror as Hearne seemed on course for a return trip to Austin next week.
But objects were closer than they appeared.
Set up by a swarming full-court defense, New Waverly (36-2) scored the final 16 points of the period. Eight players contributed to the run, including Darrell Foots, whose only bucket in the game was a 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave New Waverly a 43-38 lead.
"Coach always talks about how the third quarter should always be the strongest quarter we play, and we didn't follow through," Rucker said. "They won the third quarter, and we lost the game."
Rucker, the most notable and noticeable player who walked through the Delco Center doors, had his second straight 24-point game. He added 16 rebounds and five blocks.
"Man that guy is awesome, so athletic," McGrew said. "Once he started seeing man-to-man, he took advantage of that. I told him 'Forrest, I don't think anyone can stop you one-on-one.'"
Tyren Watts, who didn't score in the opening half, had a pair of three-point plays in the fourth quarter, where he helped hold Hearne (23-9) at bay with 10 points. The Eagles got as close at five points on two occasions, making it 55-50 on a power move by Rucker and then closing to 61-56 with a basket by Thomas Williams Jr., who scored 12.
It was the third meeting between the teams this season. Hearne's only two district losses were to New Waverly. The Bulldogs ousted the other loop member, Hempstead, at the regional quarterfinals.
"If there was a way Hempstead could have been playing in a different bracket, all three teams would have probably been playing here," McGrew said.
New Waverly earned its first trip to state, but Hearne's accomplishments were also noteworthy. The Eagles lost their top scorer, Jamie Smith, to a knee injury in January at the start of district play. They also became the only Region IV team, in any classification, who went from a non-playoff season in 2007 to the regional finals in 2008.
Joseph Carrington, who ht 8-of-11 free throws in the fourth quarter, led New Waverly with 23.
With New Waverly's attention focused on Rucker early, Williams took advantage by finding room inside for three first quarter buckets. Rucker's dunk on an assist from Anthony Gonzales gave the Eagles an 8-0 start with 5:23 left in the opening period.
The Bulldogs rallied to tie it on two free throws by Sherman McKinney with 1:53 left in the first, but Hearne established a 14-10 lead on a shot by a falling Rodrick Jackson Jr.
Hearne carried the lead into halftime despite New Waverly 3-point shots by Joseph and Jarvice Sykes. When Sykes' trey cut the lead to 24-22, Gonzales lobbed a pass to the 6-foot-6 Rucker, who dunked. Both Gonzales and Rucker added fast-break buckets down the stretch for a 30-24 halftime lead.
• David Campbell's e-mail address is david.campbell@theeagle.com.
New Waverly 68, Hearne 61
2A Region IV championship
HEARNE (23-9) -- Anthony Gonzales 3 0-1 4 7; Justin Evans 0 5-8 4 5; Forrest Rucker 8 8-8 3 24; Thomas Williams, Jr. 6 0-0 4 12; Pierre Flemings 0 2-2 0 2; Ta'Variaus Moore 1 0-0 1 2; Rodrick Jackson Jr. 3 2-2 3 9; Sexton Curry 0 0-0 1 0. Totals: 21 17-20 20 61.
NEW WAVERLY (36-2) -- Tyren Watts 4 3-4 4 11; Jarvice Sykes 5 1-2 2 12; Kyren Watts 1 0-4 3 2; X'Zavious Harrison 2 0-2 2 4; Sherman McKinney 1 2-2 1 4; Alex Brown 3 1-1 3 7; Sir Horace Saulsberry 1 0-0 4 2; Joseph Carrington 7 8-11 3 23; Darryl Foots 1 0-0 1 3. TOTALS: 25 15-26 25 68.
Hearne 14 16 8 23 -- 61
New Waverly 10 14 19 25 -- 68
3-pointers: HEARNE -- Gonzales, Jackson. NEW WAVERLY -- Sykes, Carrington, Foots.
Hearne 56, Poth 51
Class 2A Region IV semifinal
(late Friday)
POTH (25-6) -- Colby Felux 1 0-0 0 2; L.A. Radske 0 0-0 2 0; Michael Hrna 4 2-6 2 11; Justin Wauters 1 1-2 1 3; Michael Dziuk 8 0-0 4 18; Selleck Keene 4 1-2 2 9; Chaz Laijas 4 0-0 1 0. Totals: 22 4-10 12 51.
HEARNE (23-8) -- Anthony Gonzales 7 0-1 2 19; Justin Evans 2 0-2 4 4; Forrest Rucker 10 4-6 0 24; Thomas Williams, Jr. 1 2-2 2 4; Pierre Flemings 1 0-0 2 3; Rodrick Jackson, Jr. 1 0-0 0 2; Sexton Curry 0 0-0 3 9. TOTALS: 22 6-11 10 56.
Poth 14 11 13 13 -- 51
Hearne 14 11 17 14 -- 56
3-pointers: POTH -- Dziuk (2), Hrna. HEARNE --Gonzales (5), Flemings.
