Wheatley Girls Shock The State, Knock Off Top-Ranked Liberty Hill

HOUSTON, TX — Most high school basketball connoisseurs pretty much already crowned the Liberty Hill Lady Panthers as state champions going into this weekend's region tournaments. The defending state champs have mauled opponents this season, and UT-bound Sedona Prince, an all-American, has looked unstoppable.

For some reason, though, no one ever told the Wheatley Lady Wildcats about all this. Wheatley ignored the so-called experts and put it on Liberty Hill, knocking off the defending champs, 72-61, Friday night at Johnson Coliseum on the campus of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville.

Wheatley (30-3), the No. 8 team in the state Class 4A rankings, will face district rival Yates (22-6) at 1 p.m. today at Johnson Coliseum. The winner moves on to next week's state tournament in San Antonio.

Wheatley and Yates split the season series and, subsequently, split the District 24-4A title. Yates won the first meeting, 49-44, in December and Wheatley won the second game, 60-58.

Yates cruised past District 17 champion China Spring, 51-33, in the other region semifinal Friday night.

Liberty Hill crushed No. 4 Navasota, 73-38, earlier this week. Here's how the girls 4A top 10 stand heading into today's regional finals:

No. 1 Liberty Hill lost to Wheatley, 72-61 (Friday)
No. 2 Glen Rose lost to No. 5 Denver City, 44-33 (Friday)
No. 3 Loveland lost to No. 11 Abilene Wylie, 51-48 (Friday)
No. 4 Navasota lost to Liberty Hill, 73-38 (Tuesday)
No. 5 Denver City beat No. 2 Glen Rose, 44-33
No. 6 Dallas Lincoln lost to No. 11 Argyle, 65-63 (Tuesday)
No. 7 SA Veterans Memorial beat No. 25 West Oso, 59-41 (Friday)
No. 8 Wheatley beat No. 1 Liberty Hill, 72-61
No. 9 Canton lost to Henderson, 61-56 (Area Round)
No. 10 Tatum lost to No. 18 Sanger, 44-41 (Friday)

Class 4A State Quarterfinal Games Saturday:

Region I
No. 5 Denver City vs No. 11 Wylie, 1 p.m.
Rip Griffin Center

Region II
No. 18 Sanger vs No. 11 Argyle, noon
TAMU-Commerce Field House

Region III
No. 8 Wheatley vs Yates, 1 p.m.
Sam Houston State University

Region IV
No. 7 SA Veterans Memorial vs Wharton, 7:30 p.m.
Steinke Physical Education Center

Class 4A State Tournament
San Antonio
Friday, March 2
1:30 p.m. - Semifinal #1
3:00 p.m. - Semifinal #2

State Championship
Saturday, March 3 - 7 p.m.

UIL will pair the semifinal games Sunday afternoon (Feb. 25)

(Photo by Jason O'Brien/Getty Images)