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AUSTIN -- The Thorndale Bulldogs are the defending state champions, emphasis on defending.
Thorndale played outstanding halfcourt defense to hold Normangee scoreless through long stretches of play and beat the Panthers 59-42 in the Class A Division I Region IV championship game Saturday at the Delco Center.
Brandon Irwin sank 8 of 10 free throws late, and Thorndale (33-1) held off Normangee's early fourth-quarter challenge to earn a return bid to the UIL Boys Basketball State Championships.
Normangee coach Alan Andrus didn't stick around to see the final seconds tick off. In the final minute, he picked up two quick technical fouls and jerked his tie off as he was escorted from the court.
Andrus was calmer after the game, if still fit to be tied when discussing his take on the officials' calls.
"I'm sad about the fact that the officials are going to dictate the ball game in the regional tournament like this," Andrus said. "I was really disappointed, especially when you were talking about 14 fouls to five in the first half.
The Panthers trailed 40-30 after three quarters but scored the first eight points of the fourth. Chandrick Evans, playing in his 14th career playoff game, hit a shot in the lane. Point guard Justin Aguirre hit a free throw and jump shot. With 5:01 left, Jordan Mullinnix banked in a shot, was fouled and completed a three-point play.
But Normangee had just two more baskets after that. So did Thorndale, but the Bulldogs hit nine free throws to salt away the victory. Irwin, held to a point in the first half, had 12 in the final quarter.
Senior point guard Justin Aguirre, who hit a trio of 3-pointers, led Normangee with 14 points.
"I thought their kids played decent, but our kids did what they are supposed to do on top of that," Andrus said. "We held the Irwin kid, whose been averaging 23 points a ball game. He just got his points on free throws late in the game."
Each possession seemed to be infused with tension in the opening half, but Thorndale began to gain an edge in the second quarter with the inside play of 6-foot-4 senior center Austin Llana. Llana hit a free throw, followed up on an offensive rebound and hit a turnaround in the lane for five of the nine points scored in a run that carried the Bulldogs from a 20-19 deficit to a 28-20 lead. Llana had eight points in the quarter, but did not score after halftime.
Junior Preston Mitchell hit a 3-pointer with 8 seconds left in the half to narrow the margin to 28-23, but Normangee waited long stretches between buckets in the second period thanks to a solid halfcourt zone by the Bulldogs.
That mirrored the finish of the first period, when Justin Mullinnix hit his second three-pointer of the quarter to give the Panthers a 13-10 lead with 7 seconds left.
Thorndale 59, Normangee 42
Class A Division II Region IV
NORMANGEE (25-9) -- Chandrick Evans 4 0-2 3 8; Justin Mullinnix 2 0-0 4 6; Brock Newsom 0 0-0 3 0; Whitley Reed 1 0-2 3 3; Justin Aguirre 5 1-2 3 14; Jordan Mullinnix 2 1-1 4 5; Colton Smith 1 0-0 0 2; Preston Mitchell 2 0-0 2 5; Zach Watson 0 0-0 3 0. Totals: 17 2-7 25 42,
3-pter - Justin Mullinnix (2), Aguirre (3), Mitchell.
THORNDALE (32-1) -- Cody Schneider 4 2-2 3 11; Clay Schneider 1 1-2 0 3; Ryan Heine 4 2-5 1 10; Chris Saunders 2 0-1 4 4; Sederrick Brooks 2 0-0 0 4; Brandon Irwin 4 10-13 3 14; Austin Llana 3 3-6 2 9. Totals: 20 18-29 13 59.
3-pter - Cody Scheider.
Normangee 13 10 7 12 -- 42
Thorndale 10 18 12 19 -- 59
