Plano East defeats Keller: Live score, Texas high school basketball playoff recap (3/2/2024)

Plano East pulls away from Keller in regional finals to clinch UIL 6A state tournament bid

Two of the top high school boys basketball teams in Texas put their seasons on the line as undefeated Plano East and Keller battle for a spot in the UIL Class 6A state tournament on Saturday.

State week begins with the semifinals on Thursday at the Alamodome in San Antonio. 

>> Texas (UIL) high school boys basketball playoffs scores, regional final updates

In the regional semifinals Thursday night, Keller beat Lewisville 63-54 and Plano East blew out Eaton, 57-30.

Plano East (36-0) is the No. 14 ranked team in the nation (SBLive/Sports Illustrated) and the top-ranked UIL team.

The game is being streamed live on the NFHS Network (subscription required).

Follow live for score and game updates from the UIL regional finals. Scroll down and refresh this post for the latest.

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FINAL: PLANO EAST 76, KELLER 60

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4Q

-- That's it. Plano East's undefeated season continues to the Class 6A state semifinals next week at the Alamodome, beating Keller 76-60.

-- Mizell scores through contact, fouls Rhett Schank out (18 points) and completes the three-point play to take a game-high 14-point lead with 2:20 left.

-- Another passing clinic. Xavier Miller lobs to DJ Hall for the layup at the glass. Hall has 30 points and the Panthers lead by 11. Keller, like many (if not every) team this season, just doesn't have an answer for DJ Hall.

-- That was clinical. Rachard Angton slices into the paint, draws the double and dishes to Hall for an easy layup to push East's lead back up to nine. 

-- Keller is giving Plano East everything it has and more, and the Panthers have done just enough to stay ahead.

3Q

-- Keller's Luke Fabian hits the second of a pair of free throws to cut Plano East's lead to six, 57-51, with 25 seconds left in the third.

-- Steven Ramirez and Keller refuse to go away without a fight. He hits a 3 to cut the deficit to single-digits.

-- DJ Hall is up to a game-high 22 points on the afternoon.

-- Four-point swing Plano East's way. Isaiah Brewington throws a nice pass to DJ Hall underneath and Hall scores uncontested on a fast break after a steal moments later. 

-- Play has resumed. Rhett Schank buried a 3 as Keller looks to stay close.

-- Play has not resumed. As teams are warming up for the third quarter and the game is still in a delay due to a medical issue involving a referee, reports Matt Stepp of Dave Campbell's.

We are in a delay right now, one of the officials is in need of medical attention in the officials locker room #txhshoops @DCTBasketball

— Matt Stepp (@Matt_Stepp817) March 2, 2024

FIRST HALF

-- Ethan Moss rips a 3 to open the second quarter, his second of the game to push Plano East back up nine. 

-- Cooper Guerrera drills a corner 3 through a foul, and hits the free throw for the four-point play (and swing). Plano East ends the opening quarter up 20-14.

-- Plano East scored the first 11 points of the game, but Keller his a pair of 3s to stop the bleeding. 

PREGAME

-- Plano East is led by 6-foot-6 junior forward DJ Hall and senior guards Xavier Miller and Jordan Mizell.

-- Keller has three players averaging double-digit scoring: Steven Ramirez (19.6 points per game), Brooks Bahr (17.2) and Rhett Schank (12.2). Bahr, a BYU commit, did not play in Friday night's win over Lewisville.

Texas (UIL) high school boys basketball playoffs scores, regional final updates

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-- Andy Buhler | andy@scorebooklive.com | @sblivetx