No. 5 Estacado Smothers Seminole in Regional Semi-Finals Win

It was a packed house at Rip Griffin Center as the Estacado Matadors went face-to-face with the Seminole Indians the entire first quarter. The Indians won the tip-off, and two quick baskets put them ahead of the Matadors within the first 30 seconds. But the Matadors were not fazed. A contested three-pointer and a fast-break basket put Estacado back on top. This back-and-forth continued throughout the quarter — every time the Indians scored, the Matadors found a way to answer. Estacado led 15-13 at the end of the first.

The second quarter lacked the intensity of the first, with both teams struggling to execute consistently. The Indians began turning the ball over more frequently, but the Matadors failed to capitalize on those mistakes, missing several shots in the paint. Foul trouble for Seminole allowed Estacado to get to the free-throw line and helped them maintain their lead. The Matadors kept a steady four-point advantage throughout the quarter and headed into halftime with a 29-20 lead.

After the half, Seminole knew they needed to become more aggressive. A couple of quick baskets caught the Matadors off guard, prompting a timeout and a change in strategy — tighter defense. As soon as the Matadors applied pressure, turnovers became more frequent for the Indians. Although points were hard to come by in the third quarter for either team, the shift in momentum carried over into the fourth. Estacado led 45-35 heading into the final quarter and one step closer to another playoff victory.

The Matadors kept applying pressure in the fourth quarter and slowly started to snag baskets off of offensive rebounds. A flagrant on the Indians sent Shakure Wilbon to the line and tipped the momentum in favor of Estacado. Basket exchanges drained the clock as Matadors fans chanted in the stands, with Matadors fans knowing their team was on the brink of advancing. After a tough first half, Estacado’s defense held strong and was able to secure the win at home. The Estacado Matadors defeated the Seminole Indians 69-53 and are moving on to the regional finals.

Estacado’s Armond Ward led all scorers on Tuesday night with 21 points. Bobby Ross and Shakure Wilbon both had 14 points.

The No. 5 Estacado Matadors will play the Decatur Eagles in the regional finals. The location, date, and time of that matchup are TBA.