BATTLING HEAD-TO-HEAD

With three games left in the 2023-24 regular season, Meridian Yellowjackets host Iredell Dragons in crucial tilt for final District 20-1A playoff berth

Snapping their three-game losing streak, the Meridian Yellowjackets kept their postseason hopes alive as the 2023-24 Texas high school boys basketball regular season heads down the home stretch. And with only three games remaining the Jackets still control their own playoff destiny.

But that could dramatically change in one game as Meridian hosts the resurgent Iredell Dragons in a head-to-head battle for the fourth and final postseason berth in District 20-1A at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday in Yellowjacket Gymnasium.

After winning their first district championship in 20 years last season, the Jackets (4-5 in district, 13-10 overall) reclaimed control of their own destiny with a hard-fought 70-57 road victory over the Kopperl Eagles last Tuesday night, followed by an open date last Friday before this week’s crucial showdown.

“We really needed to be open last Friday,” Meridian boys basketball head coach Grant Schur said. “We are fighting some late season injuries and some illness going around school. That being said, our biggest thing is just trying to get healthy going into a couple of really big games this week against Iredell and Blum.”

After getting off to a late and slow start following an extended six-man football playoff run, the Dragons (4-6, 9-14) began turning their season around with a shocking 67-58 upset win at home over Meridian in the first round of district. Riding a two-game winning streak, Iredell can surge into fourth place with a win over the Jackets and clinch the district’s final playoff berth – by virtue of the season sweep against Meridian and a two-game edge in the loss column – with its regular season finale at Blum Feb. 13 still hanging in the balance.

If Meridian defeats the Dragons, the Jackets would hold onto fourth place and need one more win in their final two regular season games at home against Blum (2-7, 2-20) at 7:15 p.m. Friday night and on the road at league-leading Morgan (9-0, 20-1) at 7:15 p.m. Feb. 13

Rediscovering their winning ways did not come easy against Kopperl (0-9, 6-15) last Tuesday night as the Jackets found themselves trailing, 29-27, at halftime. But freshman Josh Nunez leading the way with a game-high 28 points and nine rebounds, Meridian outscored the Eagles, 22-7, in the third period to take control of the game before coasting to victory.

“We didn’t start the way we wanted to against Kopperl, but we got it together in the third quarter and managed to pull away a little bit,” Schur said. “We didn’t have the right mindset going into the game, and it really showed.

“Hats off to Coach Davis and the kids at Kopperl, they played really well. In the first half, Kopperl outworked us in every way. I was really proud of how we responded in the third quarter being down by two at halftime. We played with more urgency and efficiency to build up a 12-point lead.

Playing a key role in the season-saving win, junior Matty Jones scored 20 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out two assists and came up with four steals, while freshman Guillermo Ortiz tossed in nine points and collected a game-high eight steals.

“I told them during the timeout that our biggest fault is learning how to play with a lead,” Schur said. “When we get up on people right now, we don’t have the mindset to go finish them. We start playing to not get beat instead of continuing what we have been doing to build the lead. We really relaxed at that point and started doing a better job to put the game away.”