Plano East, Stony Point book much-hyped Texas high school state basketball title rematch

Plano East eyeing 40-0 season vs. Stony Point as nationally ranked programs seek first state titles at 8:30 p.m.

Author:
Andy Buhler, SBLive Sports
Updated:
Mar 9, 2024 11:12 AM EST
Original:
Mar 9, 2024

The Texas high school state basketball championship matchup many hoped for will come to fruition on Saturday night.

Nationally ranked Plano East and Stony Point each won their respective UIL Class 6A state semifinal matchups on Friday night, squaring two of the state's best teams both seeking a coveted program-first state title at 8:30 p.m. at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

The programs have been the top two teams in every poll, including SBLive's Texas Power 25 and Texas' Class 6A coaches poll. Plano East is ranked No. 12 and Stony Point is the No. 20 ranked team in the country (SBLive/SI).

Plano East, which is state for the second time in program history and first time since 1994, is one win away from a perfect 40-0 season.

One of those wins, perhaps its biggest, came against Stony Point — the lone loss of the season by the Round Rock power (37-1) — on Dec. 30.

Plano East's back-and-forth 55-50 win got chippy at times, and offered a glimpse of a level of competitiveness befitting of a state tournament rematch.

Since then, neither team has skipped a beat.

Both won district titles and have run the postseason.

After reaching the semifinals thanks to a game-winning 3, Stony Point got 19 points apiece from Villanova signee Josiah Moseley and Uzziah Buntyn, which was good enough to overcome a monstrous 27-point night from Clarence Payia.

The 6-foot-5 Louisiana Tech commit hit late 3s to keep the Timberwolves within a possession late, and shouldered the bulk of the scoring in the absence of New Mexico-bound point guard Kayde Dotson, who was inactive and did not suit up.

DJ Hall's double-double (15 points, 10 boards) and Jordan Mizell chipped in 13 (on 6 of 9 shooting) to help Plano East pull away in the third quarter Friday night.

Will the bruising 6-foot-5, 225-pound Hall check Moseley, a 6-foot-5 guard, like he did in December and was held to 12 points?

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