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McKinney's Anamekwe steals, slams Lions to State Championship game
SAN ANTONIO - The McKinney Lions have not been on this stage since 1928 - yes, count that up as 94 years.
But the lights of the Alamodome, the stage of the UIL Class 6A State Semifinal didn't deter No. 13 McKinney as they faced No. 4 Austin Westlake on Saturday afternoon. The Lions pushed them to not one but two overtime periods.
With time running down and the Chaps with the ball, SMU-signee Alex Anamekwe knocked away a would-be pass and started to chase. He ran it down, grabbed it with both hands and slammed it home as the buzzer sounded a second later to seal a 68-66 victory for the Lions.
@McKISDAth Senior Forward, Alex Anamekwe, with a HUGE steal and dunk to win it in 2OT! pic.twitter.com/URgqCxY7zo
— VYPE DFW (@VYPEDFW) March 12, 2022
Ja'Kobe Walter led the Lions with 23 points and eight rebounds, while Jacovey Campbell poured in 16 points of his own. Thatcher McClure had 14 points and five boards.
McKinney will face the winner of Atascocita and Duncanville on Saturday for the Class 6A State Championship at 8:30 p.m.
SEMIFINALS PREVIEW: McKinney Lions Hoops heads to State Tournament
For the first time in 94 years, the McKinney basketball is headed to the UIL basketball state tournament. With a strong victory over Arlington Martin last week, the Lions are focused and ready to get rolling into San Antonio. VYPE DFW takes a look at McKinney's road to state and what fans can expect:
Season In Review
McKinney High finished at the top of their district after posting a 10-2 district record with victories over the likes of Allen, McKinney Boyd, Little Elm, Denton Guyer, and more. With the outstanding ability to continue to post strong scores against their opponents, the Lions have been able to outscore their opponents this season by over 700 points. The team has also showed extremely strong resiliency when it comes to defense. They continue to hold off their opponents when it matters most in order to advance week-by-week.
In playoffs, McKinney has defeated Coppell, South Grand Prairie, Richardson, North Crowley, and most recently Arlington Martin. Their closest game in playoffs came against nationally ranked Richardson when McKinney's Alex Anamekwe scored a game-winning basket with just over a second to spare in the upset heard 'round the metroplex.
Looking Ahead
The Lions (34-5) will face-off against Austin Westlake (38-1) in the UIL Class 6A State Semifinal game. Although the Lions have faced some of the toughest teams in the state already, Austin Westlake might prove to be a challenge. Westlake is on a 37 game win-streak headed into the state tournament and is known for playing a level of defense that is nearly unmatched.
What To Expect:
McKinney plays tough and McKinney is resilient. If there is anything they have proved this season it's that they have the ability to regroup between each game and prepare for the next... especially in do-or-die situations. The team has been able to come into some of the most difficult moments and shock everyone- there should be no difference at the state semifinals matchup. Led by four-star Ja'Kobe Walter- who has averaged 24 points a game- as well as Anamekwe, Jackson Steel, and Thatcher McClure, the Lions can be expected to play hard and pull out a few secrets on the court on Friday.
The game is set to tip-off on Friday, March 11 at 7 p.m. in San Antonio.