Last week played out in Conroe’s favor. Now the Tigers have to finish the job in order to extend their playoff streak.
The Tigers went 1-1 last week while Oak Ridge fell in its only game of the week, setting Conroe up with a one-game lead for the final playoff spot in District 13-6A entering the regular season finale Tuesday night.
Conroe (16-10, 9-6) travels to Caney Creek (8-20, 5-10) at 6:30 p.m. with a seventh consecutive playoff season on the line.
As the Tigers control their own destiny, they could also clinch with an Oak Ridge (16-17, 8-7) loss at Willis (8-19, 5-10), also Tuesday evening.
Should Conroe lose and Oak Ridge win, the Tigers and the War Eagles – which split their regular season series – would play a tiebreaker game later this week to determine the final playoff spot.
Conroe took its shot at state-ranked Grand Oaks last Tuesday night and came up shy 29-26. Oak Ridge was idle that night, meaning both teams entered Friday with matching 8-6 records.
The Tigers celebrated senior night by toppling Willis 57-38 while Oak Ridge fell at home to Grand Oaks, 62-35.
After scoring a season-low in points against Grand Oaks three nights earlier, Conroe looked solid in pulling away from Willis in the second half Friday night.
Junior Riley Gross led for the second time this season against the Wildkats with 12 points. Sophomore Carly Boothe heated up from outside for three 3-pointers and 11 points.
Making it a memorable senior night, Saterria Poehlein made the start and totaled 10 points, including a pair of 3s. Fellow senior Alisa Sneed had a quieter night with five points, but led in assists with four and co-lead in steals with two while grabbing five rebounds.
Junior Taylor Smith had nine boards to lead in that department. Freshman Kayleigh Phillips totaled nine points and grabbed four rebounds.
The confident Conroe bunch makes the short trip to Caney Creek with its mind on a rowdy bus ride home.
Caney Creek presents a challenge as it won three games in January. The Panthers come in off a 49-27 win over New Caney Friday night where senior Emily Garcia led with 11 points.
Conroe is historically strong against Caney Creek. Including a 42-25 win over the Panthers on Jan. 4, the Tigers are unbeaten against the Panthers since 2022.
In the game earlier this month, Sneed led a balanced game for the Tigers with nine points, four assists, three steals and five rebounds. Smith added seven points and eight rebounds while eight different Tigers had four-or-less points.
Although out of playoff contention, Caney Creek has improved by two wins over last season entering the night.
Should Conroe clinch the final playoff spot, the Tigers would play in the Region II-6A Division I tournament along with The Woodlands. Grand Oaks and College Park would play in Division II.
Conroe sophomore Carly Boothe (12) drives to the hoop against Willis on Jan. 31, 2025. (Noah Mabry/SportCast Media)
