By Thomas Jones, Sports Editor

AUSTIN – In her final game as a prep player, Westlake’s Caroline Durbin found herself in an unfamiliar role.

Specifically, she found herself in the paint as a shorthanded South team fell 94-64 to the North in the annual Texas Girls Coaches Association Class 4A/5A All-Star Game at the Burger Center.

Several all-star selections did not compete for the South, including 6-foot-8 inch Baylor recruit Brittney Griner of Aldine Nimitz, the consensus national player of the year. That left the 6-foot Durbin as the tallest player on the South squad, despite her regular position on the wing.

“We were a little undersized, so we had to work a little extra hard under the basket,” said Durbin, the first TGCA all-star for Westlake since Katie Gross in 2003. “It was tough, but it was fun.”

Defensively, Durbin had to play in the paint while receiving extended playing time. She held her own against the swarm of bulky post players from the North and had three blocks on one sequence against Mansfield Summit’s Alisha Filmore.

She felt more at home on offense with six points on 3-of-11 shooting. She drained a jumper, scored on a layup and dropped in a nifty teardrop during a brief South run that cut the North’s lead to 47-30 late in the first half.

The North, which never trailed in the game, sealed the blowout win with a 12-0 run midway through the second half. The team shot 56-percent from the floor and outrebounded the small South squad 59-25.

Kim Nezianya of Carrollton Newman Smith earned the Most Valuable Player award after scoring 10 points for the North, which had six players in double figures.

Haltom’s Keuna Flax had 15 points and eight rebounds, and LaTasha Dubbs of Amarillo Palo Duro added 15 points and six rebounds.

Kaycie Boyles of Lubbock Coronado chipped in a double-double for the North with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Jasmin Henderson of Fort Bend Dulles paced the South with 15 points.

Despite her team’s loss, Durbin said the all-star experience provided an enjoyable preview of college ball. Durbin enrolled at the University of New Mexico earlier this year and has already participated in the Lobos’ intensive workout programs.

“There was a lot of talent and a lot of fast-breaking tonight,” she said. “I think this was a lot like what college ball will be.”

Durbin ended her high school career as one of the leading scorers in Westlake history. She played four years on the varsity team, including the past three as a starter. She earned all-district honors three times and received the District 25-5A Most Valuable Player award in 2008.

This past season, Durbin averaged 12.3 points and 4.4 rebounds a game while helping the Chaps reach the second round of the Class 5A playoffs. She also capped her prep career with a valiant, 20-point performance in that second-round loss to San Antonio Jay.

“I think I’ll always remember her final game against Jay,” Westlake coach Keith Smith said. “She gave everything she had in that game, and that showed what type of player she is. We’ll miss her. That’s for sure.”

 

TGCA Class 4A-5A All-Star basketball rosters

 South

 All Star                        school                       

Hannah Altheide            El Paso Chapin           

Ali Bills                        McAllen           

Kelsey Canavan            El Paso Hanks           

Caroline Durbin            Westlake                       

Krissica Harper            Waco Midway           

Jasmin Henderson            Fort Bend Dulles           

Yadira Salinas            Edinburg

Breanna Shaw            Killeen

Bianca Torre                        Harlingen South           

 Coaches                        school

Debbie Jackson             Aldine Nimitz

Nancy Walling             Pflugerville

 

North

 All Star                        school                       

Kelsee Barr                        Lake Dallas

Kaycie Boyles            Lubbock Coronado

Starr Crawford            Mansfield Summit           

Alisha Filmore            Mansfield Summit           

Keuna Flax                         Haltom           

Kelsey Murgel            Canyon Randall           

Kim Nezianya                Carrollton Newman Smith

Paige Parrish                        McKinney Boyd           

Chanice Smith                Mansfield Timberview           

Sara Stanley                        Wylie           

LaTasha Tubbs            Amarillo Palo Duro           

 Coaches                        school

Tammy Lusinger              Mansfield Summit

Bob Rose                        Frisco

 

July 16

North 94, South 64

 

North                    49   45  - 94

Westlake                    30   34  - 64

 

North – Parrish 3-9 1-1 8, Filmore 2-10 0-0 4, Tubbs 7-9 1-2 15, Flax 6-11 3-4 15, Crawford 3-5 0-0 6, Murgel 1-3 0-0 2, Nezianya 3-6 2-3 10, Smith 0-2 0-0 0, Boyles 5-8, 4-4 14, Stanley 5-5 0-1 10. Totals 38-68 13-17 94.

South – Harper 0-3 2-2 2, Shaw 2-5 2-3 8, Salinas 2-8 3-9 7, Atheide 6-12 1-1 14, Henderson 6-11 2-2 15, Torre 1-3 0-0 3, Canavan 4-8 1-7 9, Bills 0-4 0-0 0, Durbin 3-11 0-0 6. Totals 24-65 11-24 64.

 

3-Point goals: North 4-13 (Parrish 2-6, Nezianya 2-3, Filmore 0-1, Murgel 0-1, Smith 0-1, Stanley 0-1), South 5-18 (Shaw 2-4, henderson 2-4, Altheide 1-5, Torre 1-1, Bills 0-2, Durbin 0-2). Rebounds: North 59 (Boyles 10), South 25 (Canavan 7). Assists: North 9 (Smith 2), South 5 (Torre 2). Steals: North 3 (Filmore, Tubbs, Flax), South 3 (Canavan, Torre, Henderson). Blocks: North 4 (Crawford 2, Boyles 2), South 4 (Durbin 3). Turnovers: North 13, South 9. Total fouls: North 18, South 13.