South Grand Prairie tops SA Brennan, advances to second 6A state title in three seasons

SAN ANTONIO — By natural progression, South grand prairie junior forward Taylor Barnes knew the role she played this season would grow.

When 6-foot-5 senior center Adhel Tac, a five-star recruit who signed with national power South Carolina, suffered a season-ending knee injury in December, Barnes knew the level of that expansion would only be heightened.

“Coach (Brian) Raven told me he wanted me to handle the ball more, he wanted me to do more; be more present on the court,” Barnes said.

Barnes seemingly was everywhere on Friday, scoring 24 points, pulling down 12 rebounds, dishing four assists and grabbing three steals to lead South Grand Prairie past San Antonio Brennan 53-42 in the UIL Class 6A state semifinals at the Alamodome.

The Warriors (33-3) advanced to the state final vs. Duncanville (34-4) at 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Duncanville defeated Humble Summer Creek 39-31 in overtime in the other semifinal.

Related:Duncanville locks down Summer Creek in overtime to advance to 6A girls state championship

South Grand Prairie is in the state final for the second time in three seasons. In 2022, it fell to DeSoto 40-23.

“It just feels great,” Barnes said. “I wasn’t really worried about stats. I was just playing.”

The focus has allowed South Grand Prairie to win 17 in a row and 27 of 28 since back-to-back setbacks to mansfield Timberview and Chatsworth Sierra Canyon from California. It has also helped overcome the loss of Tac.

Related:How adversity helped South Grand Prairie fly under the radar during return to state

The streak continued on Friday as the Warriors fended off Brennan (32-4), which had a 20-game winning streak snapped and was at the state tournament for the first time in a decade. Brennan stunned defending state champion San Antonio Clark in double-overtime in the Region IV-6A final.

South Grand Prairie built a sizeable lead by intermission, then had an answer each time Brennan made a push in the third quarter. The Bears closed within 39-31 with 42 seconds left in the frame but Barnes knocked down a 3-pointer to push the Warriors’ lead back to double-digits.

“When teams go on runs, I just kind of tell my teammates to calm down, be patient,” Barnes said. “We just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing all year. We don’t have to play perfect, we just have to give full effort.”

South Grand Prairie was catapulted by a 23-7 run during a 13 1/2-minute span overlapping the first and second quarters to seize a 27-13 advantage at halftime.

Barnes led the way with 10 points. Taliyah Parker, Aniya Herbert and Autumn Sherman each added five apiece, with the latter draining a 3-pointer with 2.2 seconds left in the first half. Parker finished with nine points, Sherman had seven and Herbert totaled six.

The Warriors, who made 12 of 27 attempts in the first 16 minutes, led 10-8 after the opening quarter thanks to efficient shooting and their opponent’s miscues. They opened the contest by making 5 of 10 shots and took advantage of eight of Brennan’s 11 first-half turnovers.

South Grand Prairie closed the first period on a 6-2 run, turning a 6-4 deficit into a lead it would never relinquish. Brennan had led 6-4 with 5 1/2 minutes left in the first after senior guard Tyra Sotelo made back-to-back 3-pointers only 50 seconds apart.

Brennan’s five-star guard Bella Flemings, who had 47 points in her team’s double-overtime win in the Region IV-6A final vs. defending state champion San Antonio Clark, had only two points at halftime. She finished with seven on 3-of-13 shooting.

South Grand Prairie's Taliyah Parker (23) shoots the ball in a Class 6A state semifinal girls basketball game against San Antonio Brennan on Friday, March 1, 2024.(Ronald Cortes / Ronald Cortes)South Grand Prairie's Taylor Barnes (3) celebrates her basket in a girls basketball Class 6A state semifinal on Friday, March 1, 2024 at the Alamodome.(Ronald Cortes / Ronald Cortes)South Grand Prairie Warriors Taliyah Parker (23) drives past Brennan Bears Tiara Louis (4). South Grand Prairie vs. San Antonio Brennan girls basketball Class 6A state semifinal l on Friday, March 1, 2024 at the Alamodome.(Ronald Cortes / Ronald Cortes)South Grand Prairie Warriors Anyla Herbert (5) drives between defenders. South Grand Prairie vs. San Antonio Brennan girls basketball Class 6A state semifinal l on Friday, March 1, 2024 at the Alamodome.(Ronald Cortes / Ronald Cortes)South Grand Prairie Warriors Taliyah Parker (23) drives past Brennan Bears Bella Flemings (22). South Grand Prairie vs. San Antonio Brennan girls basketball Class 6A state semifinal l on Friday, March 1, 2024 at the Alamodome.(Ronald Cortes / Ronald Cortes)South Grand Prairie Warriors head coach Brion Raven gives out instruction. South Grand Prairie vs. San Antonio Brennan girls basketball Class 6A state semifinal l on Friday, March 1, 2024 at the Alamodome.(Ronald Cortes / Ronald Cortes)South Grand Prairie Warriors Taylor Barnes (3)drives past Brennan Bears Tiara Louis (4). South Grand Prairie vs. San Antonio Brennan girls basketball Class 6A state semifinal l on Friday, March 1, 2024 at the Alamodome.(Ronald Cortes / Ronald Cortes)South Grand Prairie Warriors Taylor Barnes (3)drives past Brennan Bears Tiara Louis (4). South Grand Prairie vs. San Antonio Brennan girls basketball Class 6A state semifinal l on Friday, March 1, 2024 at the Alamodome.(Ronald Cortes / Ronald Cortes)

Credits