Lake Highlands basketball took care of Arlington Martin, 30-28, in Tuesday’s bi-district playoff matchup at Hebron High School.
Lake Highlands women’s basketball poses following a 30-28 victory over Arlington Martin in the bi-district round at Hebron High School on February 17, 2026. Photo by James Baxley-Cross
The Wildcats, ranked ninth in team defense and 16th in offense of Dallas-area schools by SportsDay, showcased their all-around game en route to a nail-biting victory.
“The beginning of the season helped for games like this,” Lake Highlands coach Kelley Meiklejohn said. “We play tough teams, we play in tough tournaments and (the team) knows that things aren’t always gonna go our way.
“They have to stick to the game plan and execute and stay disciplined. And that’s what I thought they did tonight.”
With the score knotted at 25 points apiece with just under three minutes left in the game, Lake Highlands (25-9) seemed in peril. The Warriors had the ball and fed Naariah Hollimon inside. She forced up a tough shot and Kari Tillman’s defense was enough to force a miss.
Going the other way, the Wildcats had a chance to take the lead. The ball came to Brystol Steeley, who finished the regular season with 91 made 3-pointers and the second-highest average of Dallas-area athletes with 3.1 triples per game.
She squared herself with the basket from the right wing and hoisted a 3-pointer that fell through the net with 2:08 remaining. Lake Highlands led, 28-25.
After each team took a timeout, Martin had a chance to chip into the deficit or even tie the game. Ariana Guinn chose to go for the tie, shooting a triple from the left wing. It dropped with 1:31 and the Warriors’ fans bellowed with excitement.
The Wildcats stalled on the next possession, letting precious seconds dwindle so Martin wouldn’t have much time for a response. With under 50 seconds remaining, Steeley saw what she wanted. She drove the middle of the lane, flicking up a soft floater that converted to give Lake Highlands a 30-28 lead with just 46 seconds left.
“(Steeley) works extremely hard and she’s pretty smart when it comes to executing,” Meiklejohn said. “What people don’t see is how hard she works outside of practice. She’s in the gym shooting, she’s watching film, she’s asking questions and so those big moments seem kind of easy for her.”
That shot proved to be the winner as the Wildcats stood strong defensively to force a stop and punch their ticket to the next round.
It was all Lake Highlands in the first quarter, with the Wildcats apparently in control. That changed when Hollimon laid in a contested bucket as the first quarter came to a close. That score made it 11-5, but Lake Highlands still led.
That wouldn’t last much longer. Early in the second, Kenzley Sanchez grabbed an offensive rebound and guided it in for a score plus a foul. Sanchez made the ensuing free throw and Martin was suddenly only down by one possession.
Hollimon scored through tough defense again and after Amaya Gatlin converted on a short jumper, the Warriors crept in front, 12-11.
Guard Reid Ragsdale stopped the bleeding for the Wildcats. First, she converted on a short jumper to give Lake Highlands the lead once more. Then, Ragsdale leaked out after a missed shot by Martin and Kate Duffield pushed ahead to her.
Ragsdale spun and laid in a beautiful shot and on the very next possession, Duffield again found Ragsdale in transition for an easy two.
Duffield, whose 5.1 assists per game are second in the area, has used her innate playmaking ability to create open looks for teammates throughout the 2025-2026 campaign.
That personal 6-0 run fueled the Wildcats to a 19-14 advantage at the half.
The third quarter, however, belonged to Martin. The Warriors’ defense stifled Lake Highlands, which was only able to manage two points in the period. After Jordan Finn hit a mid-range jumper late in the third, Martin only trailed by 21-20 heading into the penultimate quarter.
From there, the game was back-and-forth until Steeley officially sealed the deal.
Steeley and Tillman have paced Lake Highlands offensively this season, leading the Wildcats to a District 7-6A championship. Lake Highlands shares that distinction with Richardson Pearce, which also finished 11-1 in district play.
They each finished the game with 10 points, Tillman recording the first six of the game.
“(Tillman)’s just tenacious and she plays her role very well,” Meiklejohn said. “I can always count on her to play hard and that’s what she did coming off the jump.”
The Warriors were led by Hollimon, who finished the evening with seven points. Guinn scored six and Sanchez added five.
Despite a valiant effort, Martin finishes its season with a 12-20 record, its worst mark in over 15 years.
Lake Highlands will move on to the area round to face Allen (24-10) between February 19th and 21st. The Eagles are coming off a 40-35 win in the bi-district round versus Coppell.
