Girls basketball: Dobie gets South Houston in district

Dobie and South Houston struggled at their holiday tournaments after the Christmas break, but now, with a little of the rust shaken off, it's time for them to get down to business in District 22-5A play.

The Lady Longhorns are the defending district champions. They took off in district last season, winning their first 12 games en route to the district title.

The Lady Trojans haven't made the playoffs since 2002, when Latoya Davis was round, but this could be the year they return, and a win over Dobie would be a giant first step in that direction.

ABOUT THE GAME

• Matchup: Dobie vs. South Houston

• When: 7:30 p.m. Friday

• Where: Phillips Fieldhouse (the game may be moved to Dobie because of construction)

• What's at stake: A win in the District 22-5A opener. Getting a win in the first district game is always big for a team's confidence and momentum. Winning the district opener would be especially big for the Lady Trojans, who haven't made the playoffs in nine years and were swept by Dobie last season.

• Dobie players to watch: G/F Shanequa Gaston, SG Jazmin Guerrero, PG Chelsea Rodriguez, W Derika Thomas

• South Houston players to watch: F Akira Decoud, F Dominique Davis, C Knysa Fontenette, G Jasmine Lopez

TEAM HIGHLIGHTS

• Dobie: Dobie beat Seven Lakes 48-45 in the first round of Division I play at the McDonald's All-Star Invitational. It beat Nimitz 56-45 in consolation play but lost to Bryan Rudder 70-48. It also picked up a 50-33 victory against Conroe in the tournament. … Dobie went 24-12 overall last season. … senior Chelsea Rodriguez was a backup PG last season when she hit a half-court winner against Pasadena Memorial. She's been running the offense this season. … Athletic junior guard/forward Shanequa Gaston was the 22-5A newcomer of the year last season.

• South Houston: The Lady Trojans are coming off a season in which they won just 10 games overall and four in district play. They returned eight players. … The Lady Trojans split their pool-play games at the Alvin Noon Lions Holiday Classic, beating Chavez and falling to Dawson, which sent them to the silver bracket. They lost to La Porte in the semifinals and Victoria West in the third-place game. … Physical 5-foot-9 junior guard Ashley Adams left the team for personal reasons before Thanksgiving and likely won't return. She was one of the team's top scorers, along with forward Akira Decoud.