SAN ANTONIO — Panhandle is the new capital of Texas high school basketball.
A week after the girls team won its third state championship, the boys matched the feat with a 61-58 victory over San Augustine in the Class 2A Division I title game Thursday, March 12 at the Alamodome.
It is the program’s first championship in its first state-tournament appearance.
The Panthers (27-6) had to sweat longer than the Ettes last week. San Augustine (23-6) took a brief lead early in the third quarter and whittled an 11-point deficit to one with 2:35 remaining. Broxton Robinson’s layup on the next possession made it a three-point game, the closest the Wolves got the rest of the way.
Panhandle guard Caden Armes led the team with 17 points and five assists, in addition to four rebounds, to earn championship game MVP. He made 3-of-4 free throws in the waning seconds to ice the game.
Luke Schmucker and Cooper Brinkley each added 11 points for the Panthers, who turned in a stout defensive effort. Panhandle held San Augustine to 21-of-54 (38.9%) shooting, including 1-of-10 from beyond the arc. The Wolves hurt themselves by shooting 15-of-23 (65.2%) from the free-throw line.
Max Renfro scored a game-high 22 points and added five rebounds. D’adrian Renfro (14 points) was the only other Wolf to reach double figures.
The Panthers led 27-24 at halftime and 42-37 after the third quarter but separated early in the final frame. Armes put Panhandle up 11 with 6:40 to go, before San Augustine responded with two 6-0 runs that were part of a 14-4 stretch.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Panhandle boys basketball matches girls with state championship win
Reporting by Stephen Garcia, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
