Bartlett defeats Houston: 4 observations

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bartlett defeated Houston, 78-76, in overtime Tuesday evening in what was a highly competitive TSSAA Division I Class 4A District 15 contest from start to finish.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are 4 observations from the contest:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stellar guard play</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mustangs' junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2101889' first='Justin' last='Frison'] and the Panthers' sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2194475' first='Braylon' last='Williams'] were the two best players on the floor. Frison came out blazing hot, scoring 15 points in the first quarter that helped Houston build a 26-17 lead. He stayed hot in the second quarter, scoring 8 points from 3-point shooting and attacking the rim. Foul trouble slowed down Frison in the second half, as he had to spend most of the third quarter on the bench.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Mustangs‘ leader got any shot he wanted, whether it was from 3-point range, 15-feet out, 17-feet out, or near the rim. Frison got into a groove early and foul trouble was his only toughest defender against a district opponent that has built its identity on getting stops. He finished with night with 31 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With Frison on the bench in the third, Williams kept Bartlett within striking distance with floaters and mid-range jumpers. He scored 8 points in the third quarter and made the game-tying 3 as the buzzer sounded in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter with Houston knocking on the door of victory. Williams kept his offensive momentum, scoring 6 points in overtime to keep the Panthers up for good. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Williams finished the contest with 32 points and starved off a Mustangs home win on a night the Panthers couldn't get their usual stops.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tall tree</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Houston's [player_tooltip player_id='2043374' first='Kaleb' last='Davis'] isn't afraid to rebound, block shots, and alter shots at the rim. He was everything the Mustangs needed him to be against Bartlett. Davis made sure the Panthers didn't dominant the boards. He was active on the glass all night. Davis was in position for a deflection on a lot of possessions. Tuesday night might have been one of his best performances of the 2025 season. Davis finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds. Maybe this game against Bartlett elevated his confidence moving forward. Maybe this performance put others on notice that Davis refuses to give up easy scores at the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A double-double night for Myles</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2111892' first='Jordan' last='Myles'] had a quiet 17-point, 11-rebound performance. While Frison was the show for the entirety of the first half, the 6-foot-6 wing was doing his part on the both ends of the floor. Myles was attacking the rim and finishing through contact. He was contesting shots at the rim as well. Myles doesn't get the jitters in big games. Instead, he gets up for them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Giving it his all</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Panthers' senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2116626' first='Ethan' last='Gatewood'] was solid in the second half. He scored 6 points of his 10 points in the third quarter, and gave his team a one-point lead in the fourth quarter off a putback layup. Gatewood was active on the glass and played solid defense. He's always going to play with a lot of effort and energy. His head coach, Dion Real, sees it, and in return, Gatewood has been rewarded with meaningful minutes on the hardwood floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->