Kinkaid to host Eagles

The St. Thomas boys basketball team has been near the top of the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches' large private school rankings all season.

Meanwhile, Kinkaid is nowhere to be found, due in part to a young squad (two freshmen, one sophomores in the starting five) and a challenging pre-conference schedule.

But the Falcons can turn their season around by knocking off the Eagles on Tuesday night at Melcher Gymnasium.

Kinkaid head coach Scott Zimmerman believes an upset is possible, if the rookies can maintain their composure.

"Talent-wise, there's probably not that much difference between us and St. Thomas," Zimmerman said.

"They have a little more experience than we do. That's why they're winning and we're not."

St. Thomas head coach Danny Evans said the Falcons are dangerous and not to be taken lightly.

"We're going to have to play well at their place to come out with a win," Evans said.

ABOUT THE GAME

• Matchup: St. Thomas Eagles at Kinkaid Falcons

• When: 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 11

• Where: Kinkaid

• What's at stake: Melcher Gymnasium, Kinkaid

• St. Thomas players to watch: G Christian Sanders, G Chase Brogna, G Andrew Jones, G Ian Hurley, F Chris Brown, P Jeremy King, P Doc Perrier, F Ryan Taylor, W Nick Longino.

• Kinkaid players to watch: PG Larry Wilkins, G William Reade, W Mavin Saunders, W Jeff Roberson, P Charlie Fitzpatrick, PG Thomas Dillon, F Duncan Robinson.

TEAM HIGHLIGHTS

• St. Thomas: The Eagles won three of five games at the Brazoria County Jaycees Holiday Classic. In pool play, St. Thomas bounced back from a 56-36 loss to Clear Springs with victories over Stafford 54-42 and Bay City 44-42. In the Silver bracket, they beat Columbia 78-46 and had Dawson on the ropes before relinquishing an eight-point, fourth-quarter lead in a 62-58 setback. Brogna averaged 18 points in the tourney, while the 6-foot-9 King was a beast inside the paint (nine points, nine rebounds, five blocks). St. Thomas was without Sanders, who has been sidelined for a month with a dislocated knee; however, he should back out on the court against Kinkaid.

• Kinkaid: The Falcons were in the same tournament as St. Thomas, but they dropped three of four. After going winless in pool play, the Falcons edged Sweeny 44-42 and played Bay City tight in a 48-44 defeat in the Bronze Division finals. Saunders, a 6-6 freshman, continued to put up huge numbers for Kinkaid, averaging 20 points.