Houston Teams Battle in UIL Area Round

After surviving the bi-district round, contenders now face a tougher path with matchups that often feature district champions, seasoned playoff programs, and legitimate state aspirations. With a trip to the regional semifinals on the line, Houston-area squads will need poise, depth, and execution to keep their seasons alive. Here's a look at the key games to watch in the 6A D1 and D2 brackets as the road to San Antonio continues.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Area Round Game to Watch</h2>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Cypress Creek (31-5) vs. Seven Lakes (29-7)</h3>   📍 Location: Cy Park High School 🕡 Time: 6:30 PM 🗓 Round: Area Playoffs   Cypress Creek│ Cypress Creek brings a physical interior presence led by senior Georgia State commit<a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/aubrey-hampton/"> [player_tooltip player_id='597325' first='Aubrey' last='Hampton']</a>. Hampton provides size, strength, and an impressive shot-blocking ability, finishing strong around the basket and protecting the paint on the defensive end. But the Cougars aren't just dominant inside — their perimeter attack is nearly as dangerous. Sharpshooters <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/alissa-bryant/">[player_tooltip player_id='486423' first='Alissa' last='Bryant']</a> and [player_tooltip player_id='1089854' first='Kaycie' last='Hanks'] stretch defenses with their three-point range, forcing opponents to pick their poison. That inside-out balance makes Cypress Creek a difficult matchup in the Area Round.   Seven Lakes│  <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/madison-carlton/">[player_tooltip player_id='597324' first='Madison' last='Carlton']</a> uses her size to her advantage, operating smoothly around the basket and finishing with control in traffic. She consistently controls the boards, showing a strong understanding of positioning and timing to snag rebounds. Carlton uses her size to her advantage, operating smoothly around the basket and finishing with control in traffic. What makes her especially valuable is her ability to secure the board and quickly turn it into offense, making decisive moves to finish and keeping Seven Lakes efficient inside. USC volleyball commit <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2024/11/closing-day-new-faces-katyclassic/">Willtrace Ngoh</a> brings elite athleticism to the basketball court, pairing her length and strength to create matchup problems. She powers through the lane with confidence, absorbs contact, and has the ability to rise over defenders to finish at the rim. Her explosiveness and physical presence add another dynamic layer to Seven Lakes' attack, especially in transition and in traffic.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Area Round Game to Watch</h2>   <h3 class="wp-block-heading">Grand Oaks (26-5) vs. Langham Creek (22-11)</h3>   📍 Location: Waller High School 🕕 Time: 6:00 PM 🗓 Round: Area Playoffs   Grand Oaks│Grand Oaks is led by senior Prairie View A&M commit <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/jordan-daigle/">[player_tooltip player_id='782608' first='Jordan' last='Daigle']</a>, who provides size and a strong scoring presence around the basket. She's more than just an interior finisher — Dangle can secure a rebound and push the ball coast-to-coast, creating matchup problems in transition. Junior <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/avery-campbell/">[player_tooltip player_id='801172' first='Avery' last='Campbell']</a> serves as the team's glue player, impacting the game in countless ways on the defensive end while also being capable of taking over offensively when she finds her rhythm. In the backcourt, <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/hannah-reynolds/">[player_tooltip player_id='874959' first='Hannah' last='Reynolds']</a> delivers steady, consistent guard play, helping control tempo and keep the offense organized in key moments.   Langham Creek│PGH evaluator Simmie Colson caught Brooke Prevost in the playoffs year ago (<a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2023/02/round-2-friday-standouts/">read here</a>) and it seems as the years have progressed, she is a real standout her senior year leading Langham Creek in scoring, rebounds, and assists. She does a little team for her team, scoring off the bounce or creating. <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/team/langham-creek/">Reese Fernandez </a>is the next leading scorer for Langham Creek that gives her squad attacking from the perimeter capabilities.

After surviving the bi-district round, contenders now face a tougher path with matchups that often feature district champions, seasoned playoff programs, and legitimate state aspirations. With a trip to the regional semifinals on the line, Houston-area squads will need poise, depth, and execution to keep their seasons alive. Here's a look at the key games to watch in the 6A D1 and D2 brackets as the road to San Antonio continues.