Decatur senior post Bralyn Peck rises up for a shot at the basket against three Seminole defenders in the Lady Eagles’ 47-29 4A Division I Region I semifinal win Monday at Abilene Wylie High School. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
Clinging to a 1-point lead at halftime, the top-ranked Decatur Lady Eagles trusted in their defense to create offense in the second half of a physical 4A Division I Region I semifinal matchup against 10th-ranked Seminole Monday.
The Lady Eagles (34-4) used their transition game to give the Maidens fits in the final 16 minutes, closing the game on a dominant 23-6 runaway to collect a 47-29 win inside Abilene Wylie High School’s Bulldog Gym.
“Every win is big this time of year, no matter how you get them,” Decatur coach Drew Coffman said. “I was proud of our defense tonight. We made a couple of adjustments in the second half that I think really played into our favor. We also did a better job of guarding their shooters in transition during the second half. Our size at the rim seemed to affect them, and we got a lot of deflections and blocks — maybe just being there was enough.”
Decatur found itself in a hole early, as Seminole came out swinging with a 12-3 run in the opening 4 minutes of the contest thanks to hot starts by Austyn Flowers and Miley Bates. Decatur’s offense shook off its slow start midway through the first quarter, sparking a 10-0 run with an open 3-pointer from Jayden Oates and close-range buckets by Style Brazile, Bralyn Peck and Laken Coffman to give the Lady Eagles a slim 13-12 advantage.
“I’ve been reading a book called ‘The Inner Game of Tennis,’ which talks about positive thoughts and positive talks with yourself and each other,” Coach Coffman said. “When we were down 12-3, I told them, ‘This isn’t going to last the whole game. We’re going to settle in and play. [Seminole’s] a good team, so I know we weren’t going to run away with it right off the bat. We were going to have to work for it.”
In the second quarter, Bralyn Peck — an Oklahoma State signee — started heating up. She knocked down a pair of buckets near the basket under heavy defensive pressure to score her first four points of the contest to keep Decatur ahead by 1 at the break, 24-23.
Bralyn Peck led Decatur’s scorebook in the win with 13 points.
“It was a tough game, but every game from here on out is a 32-minute season — there’s no breaks and no relaxing,” she said. “We know we had to be the stronger team and get through one game at a time. I didn’t want our season to end. I cherish every moment I have with these girls because they’re my sisters. I don’t want it to be over yet, and I’m not happy until we’re back in San Antonio.”
Deploying their full-court press at the start of the second half, Seminole’s miscues became extra possessions for Decatur. The Lady Eagles’ quartet Brazile, Oates and the sisterly duo of Maddyx Coffman and Laken Coffman grabbed several loose balls, as Decatur’s defensive pressure limited the Maidens to just one free throw by Flowers on a 9-1 run led by seven points from Peck.
The Lady Eagles’ transitional success spilled over int0 the fourth frame, allowing Decatur to eliminate Seminole with a 14-5 drive, surrending just a pair of buckets — a 3-pointer by Flowers and a field goal from Bates.
Brazile — who recently returned to Decatur’s lineup following an upper body injury — turned in an 11-point effort in the win. Sayler Peck finished with seven points, while Cece Davis knocked down a pair of 3-pointers for six points.
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“We knew [Seminole] was a great shooting team, so defense played a huge role,” Brazile said. “They’re a good team and we knew they were going to hit shots, but we also knew our defense was what was going to win the game for us… I feel that we’re as tough or even tougher on defense than we were last year. We’re really committed to playing very sound defensively.”
For the third straight postseason, Decatur — ranked No. 1 in the final Texas Association of Basketball Coaches 4A poll — will face No. 2 Canyon in the 4AI Region I final later this week. Game information has not been released.
Canyon (30-2) advanced to the regional final after a 55-24 third-round win over Lubbock Estacado Monday. After capturing an unblemished District 4-4A title, Canyon has also claimed playoff wins over Andrews (67-27) and El Paso Riverside (88-25).
The two teams have split their two playoff matchups. Last season, Decatur ended Canyon’s season in the fourth round with a 42-37 win, while Canyon knocked out Decatur 48-26 in the 2024 regional semifinals.
“[Canyon’s] a phenomenal program with some of the best coaching and playing in the state — their tradition is unmatched,” Coach Coffman said. “It’s going to be a tall task for us, but we’re up for it. It was an all-out battle last year. so I don’t expect anything different this year.”
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