5A-D1 Regional Finals Was Down To The Wire

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I gave you a preview of the team heading into the finals,<strong> LaPorte and College Station,</strong> <strong><em><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2026/02/5a-d1-regional-simmies-setting-the-stage/">read it right here, </a></em></strong>and I brought up the connection I had with club teams most of the players played on,<strong> [program_tooltip program_id='715346' first='Houston' last='United'] Mike, </strong>and<strong> [program_tooltip program_id='712630' first='Lady' last='Thunder'],</strong> as connections go back almost <strong>20 years </strong>as I watched Mike coach his daughter,<strong> Elisse,</strong> before she played at the next level while <strong>Maggie King's daughter Alexis,</strong> was a ball girl for<strong> Texas A&amp;M </strong>while my daughter played there, she too went on to play at the next level</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I spoke about the importance o<strong>f [player_tooltip player_id='899469' first='Sophia' last='Rodriguez']</strong> being the glue, and once again she was just that, while <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1232319' first='Kaia' last='Greenwalt']</strong> came away with big buckets and rebounds. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='893103' first='Isabelle' last='Rodriguez']</strong> knocked down a big shots but <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='875707' first='Jakayla' last='Glover']</strong> sliced and diced her way to the basket several times for buckets</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the flip, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='902182' first='Tianna' last='Hickman']</strong> played her role nicely while<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='878613' first='Ja'Mya' last='Johnson']</strong> was threading the needle in traffic like a master seamstress, as well as hitting teammates from <strong>20-plus feet</strong> in transition, but guess what? More surprises from others who stepped up, and here ya go</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["790223"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a2dce881da5"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Cole will be elevated on my next rankings update, as she came in off the bench to give her squad a spark, and when I speak about players changing the momentum, she did just that and kept the energy going throughout the game. She blew by defenders for buckets both in transition as well as in the set, and she played tough "on the ball" defense </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1788367"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a2dce881e2f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Spiller filled in many blanks for her squad, but she was steady and poised and played within herself, yet watching her knock down back-to-back threes ala <strong>"catch and shoot"</strong> late in the game kept her squad within striking distance </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1788368"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a2dce881ed8"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Riggs was the <strong>X factor </strong>early because she's<strong> "long and athletic"</strong> which is the base, and although she is just shy of<strong> "the magic number</strong>" she played as if she was above it. Key rebounds as well as finishes helped to get her team going, but her timing was also solid as she blocked, altered, or deflected shots </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1788369"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69a2dce881f83"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Tarango came off the bench and immediately played dividends, and if I'm not mistaken, she was moved up to varsity late in the season. I caught her at one of the<strong> [program_tooltip program_id='715346' first='Houston' last='United'] Mike tryouts,<em><a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2026/02/2029-bringing-it-houston-united-mike-tryout/"> see evaluation here</a>,</em></strong> as she gave me a glimpse of what she brought to the table, but her poise immediately stood out, so did her pull-up jumper from deep</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->