Decatur guard Style Brazile fires from 3-point range in the Lady Eagles’ 40-25 win over Wall in the finale of The Championship Tournament Wednesday at Saginaw High School. Brazile (21 PPG) was named the tournament’s MVP, as the Lady Eagles (19-4) secured the royal bracket title for the second consecutive year. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
The Decatur Lady Eagles found themselves in a familiar spot Wednesday — taking the court for the championship game at the 68th annual Championship Basketball Tournament. With a target on its back after winning the showcase in 2024, Decatur faced its toughest challenge of the tournament in the finale against the 3A No. 2 Wall Lady Hawks.
Holding a 4-point halftime lead after a defensive bout in the opening 16 minutes, the Lady Eagles’ offense came to life in the second half and sparked a 27-16 run to defeat Wall 40-25 at Saginaw High School, allowing Decatur to finish atop the competitive royal bracket for the second straight season.
The 4-0 run to the tournament title improved the Lady Eagles — who remained ranked third in this week’s Texas Association of Basketball Coaches’ 4A girls poll behind Canyon and Brock — to 19-4 (2-0).
“Probably of all of our wins this season, I’m most proud of this one,” Decatur coach Drew Coffman said. “We played a great, very quality opponent today that’s really tough, and they’re doing a lot of things really well. We had to battle some adversity because we did not play our best, but give credit to Wall for making that happen. But we found a way, and that makes me really proud.”
The Decatur Lady Eagles (19-4) celebrate with the championship ball trophy after defeating Wall 40-25 in The Championship Tournament’s royal bracket finale Wednesday at Saginaw High School. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSEGNER
In addition to its championship victory over Wall, Decatur’s unblemished tournament record included wins over Lorena (61-31), Canyon Randall (61-32) and Gunter (69-23).
Sophomore guard Style Brazile took home the tournament’s MVP honors, averaging 21 points per game in the showcase.
“I don’t think any one of us earned awards more than another,” Brazile said. “Coming into today’s game, I probably didn’t come in as good for my team as I needed to be, but they all picked me back up. They all deserved it more than I did… [Wall] was scrappy and they’re a good team, but we got it done.”
Decatur started the championship battle against Wall with a 4-0 lead thanks to two close-range shots by the sisterly duo of senior post Bralyn Peck and sophomore forward Sayler Peck.
Decatur sophomore forward Sayler Peck elevates for a layup in the first quarter of the Lady Eagles’ 40-25 win over Wall in the 68th annual Championship Basketball Tournament’s championship game Wednesday at Saginaw High School. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
After a scoring drought of more than 4 minutes, Wall (21-3) trimmed the deficit to 1 after a field goal by Jewels Johnson and a Emery Harper 1-for-2 opportunity at the free throw line. Bralyn Peck and the Lady Hawks’ Kenzzie Covert traded field goals in the final minutes of the opening frame, as Decatur held a 6-5 advantage.
Both teams’ defenses continued to lock horns in the second quarter. Despite limiting Wall to just four free throws from Covert, Decatur’s offense was slowed by the Lady Hawks, and mustered just three basket — a 3-pointer from Cece Davis and a pair of layups by Sayler Peck and Jayden Oates — as the Lady Eagles took a 13-9 lead into the halftime break.
“We ended up taking six days off, and we come here and play four games,” Coffman said. “I think there could have been a little bit of fatigue, but I give a lot of credit to Wall. I thought they were phenomenal today, and they got after our tails. We didn’t play our best in the first half, but we kept fighting.”
Held scoreless in the first half, Brazile came to life late, netting all of her team-high 14 points in the second half. After Sayler Peck opened the third quarter by scoring six of her 10 points, Brazile put down a field goal during Decatur’s 13-7 third-quarter run and scored 12 of the Lady Eagles’ 14 points in the final frame.
Decatur senior guard Cece Davis shoots a contested 3-pointer in the Lady Eagles’ 40-25 victory over Wall in the finale of The Championship Tournament Wednesday at Saginaw High School. Davis was selected to the all-tournament team. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
The Lady Eagles limited Wall to just nine points in the final 8 minutes, thanks in part to stellar defensive play by senior guard Cece Davis, who grabbed an all-tournament team bid.
“Defense is the most important part of the game,” Davis said. “We lost a couple of good defensive players from last year, and I knew I really had to step it up. Our defense is all connected through our talk. There’s still some stuff I know I need to work on, but I think I’ve improved on defense since last season.”
Oklahoma State signee Bralyn Peck — the reigning TABC 4A Player of the Year and 4A Division I state tournament MVP who claimed the showcase’s top individual player award last season — also was named to the all-tournament team after scoring 56 points in Decatur’s four wins.
Decatur senior post Bralyn Peck dribbles out of a double-team attempt by Wall’s Kathrine Lewis (2) and Maci Wagoner (13) during the teams’ championship battle at The Championship Tournament Wednesday at Saginaw High School. MICAH MCCARTNEY | WCMESSENGER
“I might have gotten an award, but it definitely goes for all of us,” Bralyn said. “We’re the all-tournament team because we won the championship together. We all work together day-in and day-out to get here, and all of our hard work paid off today.”
The Lady Eagles will quickly jump back into District 7-4A play by hosting Castleberry 12:15 p.m. Saturday. Decatur then faces rival Krum in a league showdown 6:15 p.m. Tuesday at Krum High School.
Coffman wants his team to use its run to the tournament title as a launching pad for the remainder of district play.
“The big thing for us is just having an attitude and mindset that we get better every day,” he said. “You’ve got to be your best at the end, so you’ve got to keep getting better as you go on.”
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