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Region champs: Aaliyah Chavez, No. 5 Monterey survive No. 8 Argyle in Texas UIL 5A DII playoff; live scoring, recap

Ambrosia Cole finishes with 21 points and No. 1 recruit Aaliyah Chavez has 17 as No. 5 Lubbock Monterey keep their season alive with thrilling win over No. 8 Argyle in Texas girls Region 1 championship

Levi Payton

No. 1 recruit Aaliyah Chavez and the No. 5 Lubbock Monterey Lady Plainsmen survived a late scare to beat No. 8 Argyle in the girls Class 5A Division II Region 1 championship on Friday, Feb. 21 at Abilene Christian University.
No. 1 recruit Aaliyah Chavez and the No. 5 Lubbock Monterey Lady Plainsmen survived a late scare to beat No. 8 Argyle in the girls Class 5A Division II Region 1 championship on Friday, Feb. 21 at Abilene Christian University. / Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Today’s game features UIL Texas Basketball Coaches Association (TBCA) Class 5A powers No. 5 Lubbock Monterey taking on No. 8 Argyle in a 5A Division II Region 1 championship inside Anthony Arena at Abilene Christian University.

Opening tip is slated for 1 p.m.

The Lady Plainsmen (34-5) got here by beating Wichita Falls Memorial 83-26 in a Bi-District game on Feb. 10, El Paso Burges 91-52 in an Area playoff on Feb. 14, and Fort Worth Brewer 76-40 in a region semifinal on Feb. 18.

They are led by five-star, 5-foot-11 guard Aaliyah Chavez, the consensus No. 1 girls recruit for the Class of 2025.

Chavez, who announced Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, South Carolina and LSU as her college finalists, has scored 120 points so far in this postseason, 1,395 points this season and 4,750 in her career.

She scored 50 in Monterey’s win against Brewer, 45 against Burges and 25 in the blowout over Memorial. Through 39 games this year, Chavez is averaging 35.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 3.8 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.

Not to be overlooked, junior teammates Ambrosia Cole and Ari Johnson also average double figures for the Lady Plainsmen. A 5-7 guard, Cole is averaging 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals. Johnson, 6-3 center, averages 12.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.5 blocks.

But Argyle (32-5) will easily be Monterey’s toughest task this postseason. The Lady Eagles might have the best defense in Class 5A. They’ve held opponents to 1,180 points this season – an average of 31.8 points per game – while scoring 1,988.

Something certainly must give way in this one. As a team Monterey has scored 2,969 points this season while surrendering 1,798.

Whether they can slow down Chavez and keep Cole and Johnson off the board is the big question, but the Lady Eagles have handled good offenses before. In fact, they beat No. 7 Mansfield (30-6) – who was coming off an 85-2 victory in the first round over Fort Worth Polytechnic – 44-30 in the area round on Feb. 13.

Argyle began the playoffs with a 45-19 victory over Granbury and reached this final with a 50-34 win over Plainview on Feb. 17. The Lady Eagles trailed 12-10 at the end of the first quarter of that game before going on a 21-6 run in the second quarter and never looked back.

As always, check out High School on SI Texas for more stories on these playoffs, as well as updates on the boys tournament.

Be sure to check back often and follow along once the game starts, as we will be posting regular scoring updates and highlights throughout the game, as it happens, below. You can also follow along on the NFHS Network.

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UIL Class 5A Division II Region 1 championship: (5) Lubbock Monterey vs. (8) Argyle girls; live scoring, recap

With opening tip coming up, the key factor today is easily Argyle's stellar defense against Monterey's elite offense. The Lady Eagles enter the game allowing only 31.8 points to opponents this season, and they'll be tasked with slowing No. 1 recruit Aaliyah Chavez, who enters the game averaging 35.8 points across 39 games this season.

Starters for Monterey: Aaliyah Chavez, Ambrosia Cole, Ari Johnson, Zaniyah Wilkerson, Khloei Serna.

Starters for Argyle: Kensley Vest, Wrigley Green, Landry Murphy, Kennedy Hafer, Brooklynn Northeim.

FIRST QUARTER

Chavez wastes no time. She gets on the board quick with a layin and Monterey takes a 4-0 lead.

Zaniyah Wilkerson hits a tough basket in the paint and Khloei Serna hits a 10-footer to make it 8-2 Monterey with 4:56 to go in the first quarter.

Baskets haven't been falling in the early going for Argyle. They've had some good looks, but things aren't falling for the Lady Eagles. They trail 10-2.

Ambrosia Cole hits a runner with 50 seconds to go in the first quarter to extend Monterey's lead to 12-4.

Wow. Chavez ends the first quarter with some fire. After Argyle stripped her of the ball on a drive in the lane, Chavez ran to the other end and pulled down the defensive rebound, then sprinted the length of the floor and hit a contested runner over two Lady Eagles to end the quarter. She got her points anyway. It's 14-4 at the end of the first quarter.

Chavez was pumped after that sequence. She screamed and pumped her fists as the packed crowd went wild.

SECOND QUARTER

Argyle is right back in it. Wrigley Green hits a 3-pointer with 6 minutes left before sophomore Landry Murphy kisses the glass with an underhand runner to cut Monterey's lead to 15-11 with 5:22 to go. The Lady Eagles are on a 7-0 run.

Chavez drains a 3-pointer to thwart the run and Monterey leads 20-11 with 4:31 to go in the half.

Despite trailing, credit Argyle's defense. An absolutely relentless unit, they're making every shot a tough shot for Monterey today. Nothing is coming easy.

Ambrosia Cole hits another tough shot for Monterey to extend the Lady Plainsmen lead to 22-13 with 2:41 to go in the half. Cole has had a very nice game for Monterey so far.

Chavez comes up with a steal and finds Cole for a 3-pointer to make it 25-13 with 45 seconds left in the half.

What a finish for Argyle. Kennedy Hafer hits a runner at the buzzer to cap a 7-0 run in the final 40 seconds of the half for the Lady Eagles. Monterey, up by 12 with 45 seconds to go in the half, takes a 25-20 lead into the break.

Here at the half, it's important to note these runs Argyle has been on. So far, the Lady Eagles have struggled to find any consistency on offense, and that will be key in the second half. So far, they've scored all of their points in bunches. If they can find some consistency, this game could turn. Defensively, Argyle has been as advertised. They've not given Monterey any easy buckets. Chavez has been double- and triple-teamed on most possessions, and junior Ambrosia Cole has stepped up big for Monterey's offense.

THIRD QUARTER

Chavez beats a double team and hits a jumper to open the second half. Monterey leads 27-20 and that breaks a 7-0 Argyle run.

Cole has another big basket, scoring a layin in transition to push Monterey's lead to 29-20.

Chavez is getting better looks. She hits another jumper to make it 33-20 with 4:55 to go and Ari Johnson follows with a basket at 4:40 to go and it's 35-20.

Argyle gets its first basket of the half with 4:30 to go to snap Monterey's 10-0 run.

Lehigh commit Kennedy Hafer hits to free throws to cut Monterey's lead to 36-26 and Lexi Ehrhardt and Landry Murphy hit 3-pointers to make it 36-32 with 1:40 to go in the third. Again, Argyle continues its streaky offense. The Lady Eagles are on a 12-1 run.

A flurry of action, with both teams trading blows, closed out the third quarter. Khloie Serna hit a 3-pointer for Monterey to stop Argyle's run. Then the teams traded baskets the rest of the way. It's 42-36, Monterey.

FOURTH QUARTER

Hafer hits a basket for Argyle to open the fourth and the Lady Eagles trail Monterey, 42-38.

Kensley Vest hits a huge 3-pointer for Argyle to cut it to 43-41, and Serna answers with a basket on the other end for Monterey. It's 45-41, Monterey.

After Chavez feeds Cole for a basket, Vest hits another huge 3-pointer for Argyle to make it 48-44.

After Chavez gets called for her second foul, Wrigley Green makes two free throws to cut Monterey's lead to 51-46 with 4:56 to go.

Landry Murphy now hits two free throws for Argyle with 4:37 to go and it's 51-48, Monterey.

Monterey gets whistled for its 14th foul and the Lady Plainsmen take a timeout to regroup with 3:30 to go leading 51-48.

Argyle gets a basket right out of the gate to cut it to 51-50. Monterey has not trailed all game.

Ambrosia Cole with a huge steal and layin on the other end makes it 53-50, but Brooklynn Northeim answers with a basket to make it 53-52.

Argyle turns it over under Monterey's basket with 1:29 to go.

Monterey calls a timeout with 1:10 to go, leading 53-52 and retaining possession.

Argyle hasn't given up more than 55 points all season.

Monterey is shortening the game. They milked the clock to 29 seconds before Ambrosia Cole took a foul and hit two free throws. Monterey leads 55-52. Those free throws were huge, and Argyle desperately needs to respond here.

Argyle gets the ball over midcourt and calls a timeout with 24 seconds to go. Lubbock Monterey leads 55-52.

Argyle missed an easy layup off the timeout and Monterey comes up with the ball.

Who else to seal it? Aaliyah Chavez hits two free throws with 12.9 seconds left to make it 57-52. That should do it.

Shamari Wilkerson hits one of two free throws with 4.1 seconds to go and Monterey wins the Region 1 championship 58-52.

Despite leading from start to finish, Monterey saw its lead dwindle to as little as one point, but the Lady Plainsmen hit their free throws down the stretch to close it out. Despite a great defensive plan that held Chavez at bay most of the evening, the Lady Plainsmen's supporting cast was the MVP in this one, as Cole, Johnson, Serna and Shamari and Zaniyah Wilkerson all stepped up in big spots.

Monterey's 58 points were the most Argyle had given up all season.

Cole led all scorers with 21 points, while Chavez finished with 17.

The Lady Plainsmen (35-5) advance to take on the winner of Friday's Region 2 final, either Frico Memorial or Frisco Wakeland, in a Class 5 District II state semifinal to be played Monday or Tuesday, with the winner advancing to the Division II state championship.

UPDATED: Texas UIL girls basketball playoffs Class 1A-6A region semifinals scoreboard (02/17/2025 - 02/21/2025)

Texas UIL high school boys basketball Class 1A-6A Area playoff scoreboard, updates (02/20/2025 - 02/22/2025

Texas UIL boys high school basketball Area playoff brackets, schedules (2/20/2025 - 02/22/2025)

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Levi Payton
LEVI PAYTON

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