Top stars, best performances in Texas high school basketball (Dec. 20-Jan. 1)

From Boerne Champion SG Braden Baum to PSJA High PF Kaylah Hernandez, several boys and girls basketball standouts across the state caught our eye with dominant displays on the hardwood during winter break.

Here’s a look at the top individual performances in Texas high school basketball around the state for Dec. 20-Jan. 1.

Did we miss someone? Tag us on Twitter or Instagram @sblivetx and let us know. We’ll update the post with more top performances as they are submitted by readers.

STATEWIDE TEXAS FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD

TOP PERFORMERS DURING WINTER BREAK IN TEXAS HS BASKETBALL (DEC. 20-JAN. 1):

BOYS BASKETBALL

Ray De Leon, Edinburg Economedes SG/PG

De Leon helped Economedes thrash District 31-6A rival Mission in a 79-40 win with a team-high 43 points on 67.9% shooting, 11 rebounds, seven assists, five steals and four blocks.

Chancellor White, Richmond Foster PG

During a three-game stretch that featured losses to Cypress Park, Fort Bend Elkins and Fort Bend Hightower over winter break, White averaged 29.3 points per game on 41.8% shooting as well as 11.7 rebounds.

Cason Wallace, Richardson G

Wallace helped lead Richardson to a Whataburger Tournament championship and five winter break victories to add onto the team’s six-game winning streak. He averaged 20.3 points per game in tourney play highlighted by his 23-point performance, which included five overtime points and the game-clinching free throw, in a 60-58 OT victory over Duncanville in a clash of the state’s top two ranked teams.

Trinceton Foley, El Campo PF/SF

Foley averaged 28.4 points per contest during a five-game stretch dating back to a Dec. 20 loss to South Houston (68-46). He’s helped the Ricebirds win four straight games, however, including a three-game run when he dropped 33, 34, and 35 points in tournament victories against Yoakum, Palacios and Royal, respectively.

Zuby Ejiofor, Garland C/PF

Ejiofor dominated down low in back-to-back wins over Garland Lakeview Centennial (55-42) and Denton Ryan (61-44) and dropped 21.0 points per game on 18-of-24 shooting to go along with 13.0 rebounds and 4.5 blocks.

David McKnight, Waco La Vega SG/SF

McKnight helped La Vega add onto the team’s 14-game winning streak with five winter break victories fueled by his explosive offensive performances which averaged 27.4 points on 60.5% shooting, 4.0 rebounds 2.2 steals and 2.0 assists per game

Shane Perales, Somerset SG/PG

Perales helped the Bulldogs win four in a row during winter break by averaging 27.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 2.5 assists. He really elevated his performance in Somerset’s final game of 2021, though, by dropping a game-high 43 points on 7-of-15 3-point shooting in a 101-45 victory over Fredericksburg.

Ethan Moya, La Joya PG/SG

Moya led La Joya in a win over District 31-6A rival Edinburg (63-47) and loss to Edinburg North (61-54) by averaging 23.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.5 blocks per game to go with 16-of-30 shooting.

Wesley Yates, Beaumont United SG/SF

Yates helped lead the Timberwolves to a 4-1 winter break record with a loss to North Little Rock (Arkansas) and wins over Crosby, Nederland, St. Louis Christian Brothers (Missouri) and Pine Bluff Watson Chapel (Arkansas). He poured in 21.0 points per game on 45.3% shooting to go along with 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 steals.

Alex Lee, Houston Clear Lake PG

Lee led Clear Lake to back-to-back winter break wins against Klein Collins (69-65) and Houston Christian (78-65) behind the strength of his 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game on 51.5% shooting.

Jaylen Crocker Johnson, San Antonio Warren SF

Crocker Johnson led Warren to a 2-1 winter break record with three straight double doubles in wins over San Antonio Stevens (57-38) and San Antonio Taft (70-62) by scoring 30.7 points and 17.3 rebounds per game on 46.4% shooting.

Jared Washington, Mansfield Timberview F

Washington helped Mansfield Timberview notch a 4-1 winter break record, including wins over McKinney and Waxahachie in the Whataburger Tournament in Saginaw. He averaged 22.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.6 steals during those five contests.

Braden Baum, Boerne Champion SG

Baum ended 2021 with a bang by setting a new school record with 44 points in the Chargers’ last game of the year, an 84-51 victory over Seguin. He helped lead Champion to five straight winter break wins by 20+ points, including a 3-0 record at the Boerne ISD Tournament. 

Orlando Horton Jr, League City Clear Falls G

Horton thrived during a four-game winter break run that ended with a 3-1 mark for Clear Falls and featured a pair of significant victories over Pearland (60-53) and Cypress Woods (64-58) in the Eric Medina Classic in Pasadena, against whom he dropped 23 and 31 points, respectively. He also tallied 24 points, six rebounds and five assists and posted 15 points, six steals, five rebounds in a victory against Klein and three assists in a district win over crosstown rival Clear Springs.

Avery Jackson Jr, Frisco Memorial G

Jackson led Frisco Memorial to a 4-0 mark at the In-N-Out Allen Holiday Invitation and received all-tournament team honors. He tallied 21.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals per contest in wins against Lake Travis, Mesquite Horn, Rowlett, Sulphur Springs.

Chris McDermott, Houston Booker T. Washington PF

McDermott recorded double doubles in all five of Washington’s winter break games to help his team enter 2022 riding a three-game winning streak after beating Angleton (88-71), Brazosport (82-79) and Katy Cinco Ranch (67-63) in the Brazosport Tournament. He averaged 23.2 points, 13.6 rebounds and 3.2 steals per contest, but shined brightest in the championship game against Angleton where he dropped a career-high 47 points on 19-of-25 shooting in addition to 13 rebounds, nine steals and four blocks.

Christian Jones, Katy Mayde Creek PG

Jones propelled Mayde Creek to a 5-1 record during winter break, which included five double-digit victories and a second-place finish in the Leander Glenn Holiday Classic. Jones recorded 12.6 points, 9.4 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per contest in the Rams’ five wins.

Conor McManus, Austin Westlake SG

McManus led the Chaparrals to a team title in the William Roberts Memorial Tournament in Round Rock to help Westlake add onto its 20-game winning streak with five winter break wins. He was given tournament MVP honors after scoring 26 points and draining six 3-pointers in a 79-47 championship game victory against San Marcos.

Trey Miller, Concordia Lutheran G

Miller garnered tournament MVP honors and led Concordia Lutheran to a tournament championship at the Houston Private School Invitational and five winter break victories, padding a six-game winning streak. He averaged 22.0 points and 6.0 assists in tournament play and tallied 24 points on 8-of-14 shooting, five assists, four rebounds and three steals in his top performance of late December in a 93-78 victory against Westbury Christian.

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GIRLS BASKETBALL

Kelly Mora, Lubbock Monterey C

Chavez dominated during a six-game stretch in late December that included five straight 20+ point performances, averaging 25.5 points per game on 59.8% shooting to go along with 14.2 rebounds, 4.7 blocks and 3.8 assists to help Monterey secure four victories.

Kaylah Hernandez, PSJA High PF/C

Hernandez continued to assert herself as one of the top post players in South Texas by recording her fifth, sixth and seventh consecutive double doubles in wins over rival PSJA North and La Joya and a loss to Edinburg Vela. She averaged 25.0 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.7 steals per contest on 28-of-52 shooting during the Bears’ three most recent games.

Camille Williams, Saginaw PG/SG

Williams averaged 24.0 points per game, including back-to-back 32-point performances, on 41.8% shooting in four winter break contests for Saginaw. She also added 7.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 5.3 steals during that four-game stretch.

Brooklyn Jaeger, Fayetteville SF/PG

Jaeger helped Fayetteville roll into the new year in the midst of a three-game winning streak after claiming lopsided winter break wins against Snook (42-23), Holland (56-38) and Nordheim (46-14). In her last four games, she has averaged 16.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 6.5 steals and 5.3 assists per contest.

Amarachi Kimpson, Little Elm PG

Kimpson caught fire during winter break and led Little Elm to a 2-2 record behind several impressive offensive performances against Allen, Princeton, Prosper and Wylie. The junior averaged 26.3 points per game on 50.6% shooting — including a 25-of-31 clip from the free-throw line — in addition to 7.8 rebounds and 4.0 steals.

Keely Washburn, Little Cypress-Mauriceville F

Washburn is thriving midway through her freshman season after recording four double doubles in LCM’s last seven games. During winter break contests, she averaged 21.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.4 steals and 2.1 assists per game.

Seely Metting, Yorktown PG

Metting caught fire during Yorktown’s final games of 2021 on the hardwood, leading her team to a 4-1 winter break record and a third-place finish at the Nixon-Smiley Tournament. Her best performance, however, was a dominant New Years Eve performance highlighted by scoring 41 of her team’s 49 total points in a six-point win over District 31-2A rival Three Rivers.

Mia Alvarado, San Isidro G

Alvarado led Class 1A San Isidro to a 4-1 winter break mark and signature victories against Class 4A foes Port Isabel (49-30) and Zapata (43-26). She averaged 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per contest during that five-game period.

Tatum West, Crandall F

West averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds for Crandall during a dominant 4-0 sprint to the Hallsville Fidelity Christmas Classic Tournament championship after picking up big wins over Longview, Jasper, Mount Pleasant and Pleasant Grove. She helped the Pirates win five straight throughout winter break, but was best in the team’s tourney opener against Longview when the junior tallied 24 points, seven rebounds and four blocks during the first half.

Payton Hull, Peaster PG/SG

Hull was named the Whataburger Tournament MVP in the girls blue division after helping lead Peaster to a team tournament title. She averaged 22.8 points per contest during a four-game tournament run, and her performance was highlighted by a 24-point showing in the championship game to help the Greyhounds knock off previously undefeated Tuscola Jim Ned 64-48.

Kenidi Glover, Duncanville PG/SG

Glover earned tournament MVP honors while helping lead Duncanville to a championship game victory in the Sandra Meadows Classic in Duncanville during the Pantherettes’ final contests of 2021. The freshman shined in the title game with a team-high 23 points in a 78-76 victory over Conway (Arkansas).

Hillary Dawson, Malakoff G

Dawson, a freshman, thrived at the Kaufman Holiday Tournament and was awarded all-tournament recognition after leading Malakoff to a 4-0 tourney record with wins over Athens, Elkhart, Tyler High and Whitney. She averaged 21.5 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game in tournament play while tallying three straight double doubles highlighted by a 14-point, 10-rebound performance in a 56-53 title game victory against Tyler.

Blakely Esnard, Gunter PG/SG

Esnard scored a career-high 27 points in a dominant 59-41 victory over Maypearl in the tournament play. She helped guide Gunter to a 4-1 record during winter break and the Whataburger Tournament consolation bracket championship with her shooting, and was selected to the all-tournament team for her performance.

Saniya Burks, Rice PG

Burks, a sophomore, made a huge splash in her debut appearance in the Kiwanis Tournament at Navarro College by going off for a career-high 40 points and recording a triple double with 10 rebounds, 10 steals and four assists in a tourney-opening 68-26 blowout against Dawson. In total, she averaged 35.0 points per contest in Rice’s three tournament wins.