McCormick sparks Perrin-Whitt over Turkey Valley in Texas UIL Class 1A D-I boys title game: live updates recap

Perrin-Whitt hits 11 3-pointers on the way to first-ever state championship

Perrin-Whitt's Case Lambert shoots a basket during the Class 1A Division I state championship boys basketball game on Saturday, March 6, 2025, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. / Angela Piazza/USA Today Network via Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

HOW TO WATCH TURKEY VALLEY (34-3) vs. PERRIN-WHITT (33-5)

What: UIL Class 1A Division I title game

When: 1 p.m., March 6

Where: Alamodome

How to watch the live stream online: You can watch this game live on the NFHS Network

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PREGAME PREVIEW

The winner of the Class 1A Division I finals will take home a first for either school – a boys state basketball title.

Both schools have had long waits to get back to the semifinals – 40-plus years for Valley and nearly 80 years for Perrin-Whitt.

Perrin-Whitt is 0-1 in title games, losing the 1945-46 Class B finals. The year prior, it made the semifinals but that is it for the North Texas school that was just Perrin back then.

Valley went to the Class 1A semifinals in 1982-83 as Turkey-Quitaque Valley but lost in the semifinals so this is the first title berth.

Valley is 34-3 overall and the Patriots have won five in a row since losing the regular-season finale. They were ranked No. 20 in the final TABC poll of the regular season.

The playoff run includes wins over O’Donnell, No. 25 Klondike, No. 17 Happy, No. 8 Wildorado and Garden City, 58-37, in the semifinals on Monday.

The closest of the five wins was a 7-point triumph over Wildorado on Feb. 28.

A freshman has been at the forefront of the offense for the Patriots – Corbin Taylor. He’s averaging 18.7 points and 8 rebounds per game. He’s hitting 68% from the field this year.

Junior Kanyon Taylor is next in scoring with 15.7 points per game and grabbing 6 rebounds per game. Senior Evan Meyer scores 9.4 points per game. Meyer and Kanyon Taylor lead Valley with 45 3-pointers each.

No. 2-ranked Perrin-Whitt has won 18 in a row entering the finals.

The 9-point win over No. 4 Brookeland, 66-57, in the semifinals was the closest playoff game for the Pirates. Before that, they dispatched No. 6 Huckaby, No. 22 May, Union Hill and Saint Jo – all double-digit margin of victory.

The Pirates have an elite scorer in senior Jack McCormick.

He’s averaging 32.8 points per game, according to stats on MaxPreps. He’s also adding 8.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 3.2 steals per game, while shooting 58% from the field.

Junior Case Lambert nearly averages a double-double with 14.8 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game. Like McCormick, he is also good on defense with 3.1 steals per game.

Junior Cole Keeney is scoring 10.3 points per game for the Pirates.

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PERRIN-WHITT VS. TURKEY VALLEY

FIRST QUARTER

McCormick scores on a layup early and Perrin-Whitt is up 2-0

6-foot-7 Corbin Taylor scores back-to-back baskets for Valley. Now up 4-2; his brother, Kanyon, is 6-foot-9. Not height you see often at Class 1A

McCormick and Lambert hit back-to-back 3s for the Pirates. Perrin-Whitt up 10-6. Timeout by Valley with 4:14 left

Lambert with another 3

Corbin Taylor with a layup and draws a foul. with 1:12 left. 16-11 Perrin-Whitt is ahead

Perrin-Whitt missed two shots in the final seconds

End of 1st: Perrin-Whitt 16, Turkey Valley 11

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SECOND QUARTER

McCormick hits another 3 for the Pirates. The team is 5-for-8 from the arc so far. It's 19-13 with 7:20

Back-to-back basket from Kenney for Perrin-Whitt. Now 24-13

Leo Cruz and Corbin Taylor helps cut deficit to 9 for Valley. 349 to go

Kanyon Taylor with a bucket with 41 seconds left. Perrin-Whitt lead down to 28-22.

Perrin-Whitt missed a shot at the buzzer.

End of 2nd: Perrin-Whitt 28, Turkey Valley 22

Corbin Taylor with 13 points for Valley . Patriots are 10-for-21 from the field and 0-for-4 from 3

McCormick has 12. Perrin-Whitt is 11 for 29 from the field and 6-for-11 on 3s

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THIRD QUARTER

Kenney with offensive rebound and layup off the glass. Perrin-Whitt up 30-22

The 6-point halftime lead is now 16 points for the Pirates. 38-22 after a 3-pointer from Lambert. 4:33 left in 3rd

McCormick drains another 3 pointer. He's got 18 and the Pirates are up 41-25 with 2:22 left

McCormick has the ball and is just dribbling and killing time with 1:30 left. Looks like they will hold for the final shot of the 3rd

Pirates just do that. end of 3rd

End of 3rd: Perrin-Whitt 41, Turkey Valley 27

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FOURTH QUARTER

McCormick hits 3 FT after drawing a foul shooting a 3. Lambert follows with a 3-pointer. 6-0 run in 30 seconds makes it 47-29 with 6:02 to play

McCormick with 2 FT and it's now 49-29 with 5:22 left. He has 23 points now. I think you can sharpie him in as the MVP

Corbin Taylor hits a 3 for Turkey Valley. 49-32. It's the first 3 for the Patriots, now 1-for-12

Valley has trimmed a 17-deficit down to 12. less than 3 minutes to play

Lambert with a 3 with 2:01 left. 58-41

1:06 left in game. Perrin-Whitt up 61-43

Kanyon Taylor banks in a 3 for Valley. 63-46 with 45 seconds left

Final: Perrin-Whitt 65, Turkey Valley 46

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POSTGAME RECAP

For the first time in school history, Perrin-Whitt is a state champion.

In the second title berth and the first since 1946, the Pirates rolled to a 65-46 win Thursday afternoon at the Alamodome.

Senior Jack McCormick put up an MVP performance with 28 points for Perrin-Whitt. He was 7-for-22 from the field, 4-for-6 on 3s and hit 10 of 13 free throws.

Case Lambert added 17 points and 4 steals for the champs while Cole Keeney had 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals.

McCormick, Lambert and guard Hunter Walker, who had 2 points and 6 assists, played all 32 minutes for the Pirates. 

A close game at half, Perrin-Whitt turned a 28-22 lead into double digits after hitting three 3-pointers.

For the game, the Pirates were 11 for 23 from beyond the arc.

“We made it a couple little tweaks defensively and I think that helped and then we were able to rebound the ball,” Perrin-Whitt coach Todd McCormick said. “And when we got stops, we were able to get out and go. Get in transition, which is what we want to do; we want with the ball going down the floor and we got our shooters spread out.”

A critical difference was points off turnovers. 

Turkey Valley had 2, while Perrin-Whitt had 20.

Corbin Taylor had a double-double with 25 points and 17 rebounds for Turkey Valley. His brother, Kanyon, had 12 points and 7 rebounds. 

The Patriots hit 17 of 50 shots from the field and were 3-for-20 on 3-pointers. Corbin Taylor hit the first 3 in the fourth quarter to snap an 0-for-11 start.