Houston Playoffs: North Shore Edges Pearland for 3rd Round Spot

As if the Bi-District round wasn't exciting enough, the "area" second round of playoffs packed on to an exciting postseason with even more chaos. Several times in games, momentum swung back and forth between both teams as they did battle until the final buzzer. I got to watch North Shore/Pearland live on Thursday night, and both teams came out firing on all cylinders. Pearland had the lead by 8 at halftime, but ultimately it was the Mustangs who moved on to the 3rd round with a 55-52 victory. Let's look at some players who stood out to me and put on a great showcase for their respective teams!    Christian Gibson was an absolute force unleashed on the offensive end that Pearland had no answer for on defense. Gibson came away with 27 points to lead all scorers in the contest, and he showcased versatility, high IQ, and playmaking prowess all throughout the game. Gibson is a current UCF commit, and it is easy to see why he has the skill to play Division 1 basketball with the way he plays and the total package he displays when on the floor. He can shoot the long ball, get into the paint, and operate the P&R with efficiency. North Shore totally upgraded with adding Gibson into the mix this year.     [player_tooltip player_id='2265859' first='Tyylon' last='Ennis'] had 13 points for the Oilers in the loss to North Shore, but he was easily one of the best shooters I have been able to watch this season. He can punish defenses for leaving him open off the dribble or can hit shots over closing out defenders with the catch and shoot as well. Ennis has great off ball movement and is fully capable of running either guard slot. Coming off a good summer with JL3, Tyylon continues to impress with his elite decision making and clutch genes as only a 2028 hooper.     Sam Walker's impact was not the most felt in the scoring column, but his energy and effort was unmatched during this game, and he catapulted the Mustangs to a huge second round run and win. He came away with 3 points and 11 rebounds in the contest. Sam is a consistent bucket getter under the basket and does not hesitate to take advantage of mismatches in the paint and on defense as well. On one play, he found himself running from the paint to the perimeter to block a 3 pointer and sent the shot into the stands. Walker is an absolute dog on both ends and has one of the best motors I have seen in recent years during my time watching high school basketball. College coaches need to take notice of Sam right now and immediately put him on their radars!     Devan was one of the main scorers for Pearland with his ability to create his own looks off the dribble and he scored in multiple ways on the perimeter and inside the arc. Brown is an unsigned 2026 senior who plays the game the right way and is willing to put his body on the line for loose balls and second chance opportunities on offense. Devan struggled a bit at the free throw line over the past few weeks, but he has found other ways to impact the flow of the game when on the court and he poises a matchup problem for anyone trying to guard him with his height and frame, especially on the perimeter. Devan had 15 points in this game and had a great finish to his senior season! Hopefully, this performance helps him see a couple more collegiate offers come his way.

As if the Bi-District round wasn't exciting enough, the "area" second round of playoffs packed on to an exciting postseason with even more chaos. Several times in games, momentum swung back and forth between both teams as they did battle until the final buzzer. I got to watch North Shore/Pearland live on Thursday night, and both teams came out firing on all cylinders. Pearland had the lead by 8 at halftime, but ultimately it was the Mustangs who moved on to the 3rd round with a 55-52 victory. Let's look at some players who stood out to me and put on a great showcase for their respective teams!

Central Florida