Friday, March 29, 2024

Double take

Posted

The North Central Texas Academy Pioneers are the Texas Christian Athletic League Class 6A – and class 3A – boys basketball state champions.

NCTA won titles in two different divisions in the T-CAL on Saturday. The Class 6A Pioneers beat Spring Creek Academy 50-42 in the championship game.

NCTA trailed 13-12 after the first quarter, but turned up the defense in the middle two quarters to lead 25-21 at the half and 35-27 heading into the fourth.

Nate Tshimanga scored 13 points to lead the Pioneers. Nick Zoric added 12, including seven points in the third quarter. Amadou Kaba finished with 10 points and was 4-4 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.

Cedric Djontu scored six, Elias Ngoga added five and Thomas Kuol scored four.

In the semifinal game, the Pioneers had to withstand a furious rally from North Texas United to win 54-51. NCTA led 39-23 entering the fourth quarter, but NTU scored 28 points in the final eight minutes to pressure the Pioneers.

Tshimanga had 13 points in the semifinal win, nine of which came in the fourth quarter. Zoric added another 10, while Thomas Kuol and Kaba each had nine. Cross Avertington scored seven, Djontu finished with four and Ngoga had two.

The Pioneers are coached by Kenny Yates and finished the season with a 26-14 record.

NCTA’s 3A team also won the state championship in its classification, beating Port Arthur Bob Hope in the semifinals and Spring Legacy in the title game.

Against Spring Legacy, the Pioneers won 46-45 in a down-to-the-wire game. NCTA was lead by Milo Katuric, who scored 13 points, including two three-pointers in the fourth quarter.

Zane Reed and Tuoyo Boyo each had seven points. Filip Ivanis added another six, Ivan Svopropa and Michael Okaor each had five and Uriel Rivas added four.

NCTA trounced Port Arthur Bob Hope 63-26 in the semifinal. Boyo and Svopropa each had 12 points and Rivas added 10 more. Milo Katurik and Victor Meraz scored eight each and Okafor had six. The Pioneers held Bob Hope scoreless in the fourth quarter.

The games were played at the Alamo City All-Stars Sportsplex in Universal City.

All-State teams for T-CAL will be announced later this week.

The NCTA girls finished third in the state in their classification. The Lady Pioneers lost 39-38 to Spring Legacy in the semifinal before turning around and blowing out Bob Hope by 30 in the third-place game.

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