Hightower HS girls' basketball team punch ticket to state thanks to senior reserve Kimora Denkins

MISSOURI CITY, Texas (KTRK) -- The Hightower High School girls' basketball team punched their ticket to state for the first time since 2019.

"Wow. I'm just so proud of my girls," Hightower head coach Jasmine Brewer said. "I can't.... I'm speechless."

The Lady Canes won a hard-fought game 61-47 over Alief Taylor in the 6A Division II Regional Final thanks to an unexpected hero, senior Kimora Denkins.

"I noticed the change in Kimora in these playoffs," Brewer said. "Super confident in practice. Ready, hungry, and what's crazy is this morning I had her come to my office, and I sat down with her, and I said, 'I have a feeling this is going to be one of the best games for you.'"

Wow, coach had a feeling and her senior delivered.

"She wanted me to be ready. My name was going to be called," Kimora Denkins said. "She wants me to play with confidence, and you know what...that's what I did."

Hightower led by 5 at halftime, 18-13. In the second half, the Lady Canes upped the lead to 10, but anytime Alief Taylor cut the lead to single digits, Denkins stepped up to hit a three. The senior came off the bench to hit four 3-pointers at critical times in the game to lift Hightower to state. She finished with 14 points.

"It's fun, man," Denkins said. "It's like surreal. We're going to state." Coach Brewer added, "That's a senior right there, and that's somebody who's been waiting for that opportunity, and I'm so glad she could do it on this platform."

Now, the Lady Canes have upped their winning streak to twenty-two games. "One word I'll describe this team is sisterhood," Brewer said.

This sisterhood is just two games away from being state champions.