CANTON, Texas — The score was all tied up in the second half. Canton and Brownsboro, two elite girls' basketball programs in East Texas, both remained undefeated in district play. As the game turned into crunch time, somebody needed to step up in the clutch.
Lucky for Canton, Payton Bray answered the call.
Bray hit a huge three to cut into the Brownsboro lead. The next possession, she hit a tough contested shot under the basket. The energy from those two big shots was enough to turn the tide in the matchup.
"There was a lot of momentum that was down for a little bit just because some of our starting players were off the bench," said Bray. "Some of us just had to step up and make it happen and we did it as a team."
Bray continued the big-time plays with a couple more fourth quarter baskets to extend the Canton lead. Eaglette head coach Troy Carrell said the play of Bray was huge, especially in a matchup of that magnitude.
"You know, Payton really stepped up for us tonight. We were kind of bleeding tonight and she gave us a shot in the arm," said Carrell. "It allowed us to pull back up and tie it back up, and it really swung the momentum back in our favor."
Bray emphasized that her teammates played great, as always. She said it really helps that her Canton teammates are all great friends off the court too. Building that chemistry as strong as it has become has helped them gel on the court and win those big games as they continue to do.
The Eaglettes now sit at 22-4 and remain perfect in district play. As their excellent season continues, Coach Carrell knows that everyone is starting to buy in to the program's success.
"This is huge going forward. I mean, you just beat the defending state champion on their home court in a big district matchup," said Carrell. "If the kids didn’t believe in what we were trying to do before tonight, they should 100% believe in what we’re trying to do now after a big win like that.”