Boys basketball: Rebels win thriller, reach I-5A final

ABILENE Teviin Morris hit a 3-pointer with 9.9 seconds left to send the Midland Lee Rebels to the Region I-5A championship game Friday.

Lee defeated Colleyville Heritage 55-53 at Abilene Christian’s Moody Coliseum. The Rebels will play North Crowley at 7 p.m. tonight.

The Rebels (24-10 overall) trailed 53-52 with 25 seconds left, when Dave Morris took the ball and nearly had it stolen before kicking it to a wide-open Teviin Morris who drained the 3-pointer for the victory.

On the ensuing possession, the Rebels fouled a Colleyville Heritage player, who missed the first free throw and then purposely missed the second, but it didn’t hit the rim and the ball was awarded to the Rebels, who ran out the clock.

Colleyville Heritage (31-4) looked like it would run away with the game early, leading 18-8 early in the second quarter, but Malcolm Miller hit a 3-pointer and Kendrick Fuller hit a jumper to give the Rebels a 25-23 halftime lead.

Heritage came out strong to open the third quarter and after Josh Templeton missed a wide-open lay-in, the Panthers took a 39-33 lead with 5.7 seconds left in the third. Senior post Wayne Betts then made a halfcourt shot to pull the Rebels within 39-36.

Late in the fourth, Miller nearly cost the Rebels the game.

Midland Lee led 52-51 and Miller stole a pass, but rather than holding onto the ball and waiting to get fouled, he turned the ball back over and Heritage’s Brandon Shaw made two free throws for a 53-52 lead, setting up the final 25 seconds.

The victory marks the first time since 2002 that Midland Lee has advanced to the regional final. The Rebels lost in the state semifinals that year.