Tompkins one to watch in citywide hoops
High School Hoops
Matthew Reese
06 December 2017
Head Coach: Bobby Sanders
2016-2017 Postseason: Reached Bi-District Round; Lost to Fort Bend Travis
Outside of Cy Falls, the next best returning team in the Houston area may be Katy Tompkins. It would be hard pressed to find a team that returns four players who averaged double digits in points a year ago. A first-round exit from the playoffs last season has fueled the Falcons this offseason. Tompkins returns top scorers Jamal Bieniemy (15 ppg, 5 apg) and Kristian Sjolund (10 ppg, 5 rpg). Bieniemy is verbally committed to Oklahoma, while Sjolund has chosen Georgia Tech. The two are threats to score anywhere on the court. Other key returners include C.J. Washington (11 ppg, 4 rpg), Emmanuel White (9 ppg, 6 rpg – Texas State pledge), Jackson Sanders and Drake Dusek. Eden Holt moves in from FB Austin and will be a big addition. Falcons’ coach Bobby Sanders (6th – 55-42, 16th overall – 322-174) believes developing character in a person is key to them becoming the players they want to be.
Fred VanVleet scored 37 points and the surging Houston Rockets won their ninth straight, beating the Miami Heat 102-98 Friday night.
VanVleet shot 13 for 17 from the field and made a season-high 9 of 11 3-pointers as the Rockets extended the league’s longest active winning streak. Houston also snapped a nine-game skid against Miami, which lost its 10th straight. It is the Heat’s longest skid since they lost 11th straight in 2007-08.
Amen Thompson returned after missing the last six games because of a sprained left ankle and finished with 18 points and seven steals while Dillon Brooks and Jabari Smith each added 11 points for the Rockets.
Houston rallied from an 11-point deficit early in the third quarter and got to 80-78 on Jalen Green’s jumper to close the period.
Miami’s Andrew Wiggins scored 30 points, his highest total since the Heat acquired him from Golden State for Jimmy Butler on Feb. 6. Kel’el Ware had 16 points and 14 rebounds, while Bam Adebayo also scored 16 points for the Heat.
Takeaways
Rockets: Houston remained second in the Western Conference.
Heat: Miami squandered its 20th double digit lead that led to a loss. Wiggins’ jump shot two minutes into the third period put the Heat ahead 65-54 before Houston rallied.
Key moment
VanVleet went on a personal 9-2 run to start the fourth that put the Rockets ahead for good. He hit two 3-pointers, a lay-up and made 1 of 2 free throws that gave Houston an 87-84 lead.
Key stat
The Rockets outrebounded the Heat 46-34 for their eighth consecutive game of winning the rebounding edge against their opponent.
Up next
Rockets host Denver on Sunday, and Heat host Charlotte.
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