The Conroe Tigers are in the playoff picture for the first time this season by the slightest of margins. It took work to get there and that work must continue over the next three games to reach the postseason.
Two of those games are this week as the Tigers (15-9, 8-5) travel to No. 16-ranked and District 13-6A leader Grand Oaks (27-3, 14-0) Tuesday evening before playing their final game at The Pit on Friday evening against Willis (6-18, 4-9). Both games tip-off at 6:30 p.m.
Conroe edged Oak Ridge (16-16, 8-6) by a point – 44-43 – this past Friday night to take a half-game lead over the War Eagles for fourth place in the district standings.
The Tigers won that contest on a Taylor Smith (who led the team with 10 points) free throw with 6.7 seconds left in the game to earn a massive season split with the War Eagles and could set up the potential of a playoff play-in game next month, if necessary.
But for now, Conroe is in the driver’s seat as it travels to red-hot Grand Oaks, a team it played to a 45-43 loss back on Dec. 17.
Grand Oaks has won 15 straight games (dating back to a non-district loss to Barbers Hill on Dec. 7) and has dominated five out of its last six games since the calendar switched to 2025.
First the close game. The Grizzlies, who have already clinched a playoff spot, kept their winning streak intact and their district title hopes alive with a 49-47 overtime win over The Woodlands back on Jan. 19.
That game with the Highlanders is an outlier, otherwise. The Grizzlies have been dominant in the other five games with an average winning margin of 46.2 points. The past two games, Grand Oaks has allowed an impressive 16 points per game in wins over College Park (39-13) and New Caney (73-19) last week.
As senior Bree Riley (Abilene Christian University) winds down to the end of her prolific high school career, she isn’t slowing down. Riley is averaging 27.1 points per game to go along with 5 steals, 3.2 assists and 4 rebounds per game on 45% shooting.
Riley has scored 30-plus points in four games since Dec. 28 and had a season-high 41 against Cleveland on Jan. 18.
Aside from Riley, a pair of sophomores in Hannah Reynolds (8.3 points per game) and Avery Campbell (7.4) are the other offensive threats for the Grizzlies.
Back in the Dec. 17 meeting, Conroe led the Grizzlies with less than a minute to play when senior Alisa Sneed made a reverse layup. But after Sneed fouled out moments later, Grand Oaks went to the free throw line to capture the win as Riley totaled 26 points.
Conroe’s Riley Gross had a memorable stretch that night when the junior post made three consecutive 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and totaled a team-high 17 points and added 17 rebounds for the double-double. Sneed also had a double-double with 11 points and 12 boards.
Grand Oaks has won four of six against Conroe, but the Tigers won both meetings last season.
As for the Willis matchup – which is senior night for the Tigers – Conroe has won 17 consecutive games over the Wildkats, dating back to 2011.
Back on Dec. 20, Conroe went into Christmas Break with a 44-32 win at Willis.
Gross led a balanced game against the Wildkats with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Christy Rogers had eight points while Sneed had seven points, five rebounds and four steals.
While Conroe plays Grand Oaks Tuesday night, Oak Ridge is on a bye. If Conroe beats the Grizzlies, Conroe would take a 1½ game lead over the War Eagles in the district standings. If the Tigers fall, the two will be tied heading into Friday.
After Oak Ridge’s bye, the War Eagles will host Grand Oaks Friday night. Grand Oaks won the first meeting 55-28 on Dec. 20.
Oak Ridge then wraps up the regular season on Feb. 4 at Willis.
Conroe sophomore Maliyah Harrison (15) dribbles the ball against College Park earlier this month. (Chris Zorzi/SportCast Media)
