Phillips leading Lions through tourney
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, February 14, 2006
No one basketball player has had a bigger impact on a team this season than Hannah Phillips has had for the Kingwood Lady Lions.
The junior guard, who has already exceeded the 2,500-point mark this season, has been on fire for the Lions during their trek toward an AISA Class 2A state title.
Phillips netted 37 points Friday night as Kingwood defeated Escambia Academy and advanced into the final four.
She&8217;s averaging more than 24 points-per-game this season and has a 19-point average for six-year career with the varsity squad.
You do the math.
Phillips has played a key role for Kingwood head coach Jerry Stearn&8217;s basketball teams since she was in sixth grade. The Lions have a .752 winning percentage with Phillips on the floor, going 97-32 during that time.
One of the few milestones that Phillips has failed to accomplish in her storied career is claiming a state championship. It&8217;s something she hopes to remedy this week at Huntingdon College in Montgomery.
The seventh-ranked Lady Lions (23-3) will face 10th-ranked Sparta Academy (20-6) Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m. in the Class 2A semifinal round.
Being in the AISA final eight is nothing new for the Lady Lions &8212; they&8217;ve been here every year that Phillips has had a place on the varsity bench.
But the final four is new territory for the Kingwood girls and could provide the team with unfamiliar challenges as the competition gets tougher.
No worries, though.
If the Lady Lions struggle this week, just give the ball to Hannah Phillips. She&8217;s proven time and time again that she knows exactly what to do with it