Girls Basketball: Foy’s clutch surge spurs Cinco Ranch to pivotal win over Taylor
Cougars overcome 6-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take sole possession of first place in District 19-6A with five games left
Cinco Ranch coach LeVar Brown talks a lot to his team about rising above emotions.
“When stuff’s not going our way, rise up and just play basketball,” Brown said.
In a ginormous game with District 19-6A championship implications, the Cougars heeded Brown’s words Tuesday night. And when it mattered most, it was the first-year head coach’s star senior guard that finished the show after her teammates helped set the stage.
Kansas State signee Aniya’ Foy, ranked 46th nationally in the Class of 2025 by ESPN, scored 13 of her game-high 24 points in the fourth quarter to rally Cinco Ranch to a dramatic 61-56 road win over Taylor.
The victory awarded the Cougars (20-5, 10-1 19-6A) sole possession of first place in 19-6A with five games left and extended their win streak to eight games.
It also avenged a 67-66 loss to the Mustangs on Dec. 3.
Taylor (21-6, 9-2) lost for the first time in nine home games this season. The Mustangs are now one game back of Cinco Ranch in district play.
“It made a statement for us as a team,” Foy said. “It’s been on our minds since we lost to them the first time. We came back and showed we wanted it more at the end, just kept playing until the buzzer.”
Cinco Ranch is in line for its first district championship since 2009. Getting to this point, however, was anything but smooth.
The Mustangs led 49-43 after three quarters, largely due to 22 Cougar turnovers; junior guard Casey Scherpereel, who had a 10-point second quarter; and senior forward Kara Hart, who had an 8-point, 4-rebound third quarter and finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds.
That Cinco Ranch was within striking distance at all was commendable in itself. Foy, who entered the game averaging 25 points per game on 53% shooting, picked up two early fouls in the first quarter and missed most of the first half.
“I just try and be a good teammate, cheer on my team,” Foy said of the early troubles. “I try not to let my emotions take over me. Just keep focusing on the game and what I can do. It is tough.”
Her teammates stepped up in big ways, allowing the Cougars to stay afloat until Foy found her groove.
Senior forward Camille Torrence had 12 of her 14 points through three quarters, and junior wing Lydia Polk had nine of her 12. Defensively, senior center Maria Podskarbi cleaned up, collecting all 12 of her rebounds before the fourth quarter.
“It was great for them to see because I tell them they can do it all the time,” said Brown, who, unsolicited, praised backup sophomore guard Mailyah Hankton, who played admirably while assuming most of Foy’s minutes in the first half. “I preach unity, team basketball. Cliché, but I preach positivity into every kid. Every kid can be that kid. Just do your job, what we need you for, and they’ll be successful and they’ll be productive.”
They did. They were.
And then Foy took over.
The 6-foot guard scored 13 of her team’s 18 points in the fourth quarter, adding two blocks and two steals for good measure. She helped spark a dominant period of defense, as Taylor had as many turnovers (7) as points.
“Just go,” Foy said of her mindset the final eight minutes. “Be disciplined on defense, and then defense can turn into offense. Stop the ball and get good looks.”
Foy hit four buckets, all either around the rim or midrange area, and made five of seven free throws in the quarter.
With Cinco Ranch up 57-56 with 15.3 seconds left, it was Foy’s two freebies that gave the Cougars enough breathing room to hang on for the win.
“It makes things a lot easier,” Brown said of having a player of Foy’s talent at his disposal to close out games. “It also makes it tough. There are a lot of decisions, like, ‘Do I call this timeout now, or do I let her do her thing?’ Back and forth, but it’s fun. It’s what makes the game, the game.”
Along with the 24 points, 17 after halftime, Foy added five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.
But the young lady’s maturity continues to impress. Not only did Foy battle through foul trouble, but she was constantly harassed by Taylor’s well-schemed pressing and trapping defense.
In a game Foy wanted to win so desperately, she had to be calm. Poised.
“I try not to, but yeah,” she said when asked if she put any more pressure on herself considering the stakes of the game. “I did.”
Foy understands what she does on offense is determined by the defense.
She is comfortable allowing the game to come to her, which can be a difficult ask of any star athlete, let alone a young one.
“She handles a lot,” Brown said. “She doesn’t let people get to her. She’s a teenage girl, right? So, there’s moments where she has her reactions and then there’s moments she just plays basketball. It’s tough for anybody to have that mindset. Moving on to the next play is so tough.”
But Foy did it. The Cougars did it.
And now they control their own destiny.