Coyotes Survive the Warriors: Heritage Tops Memorial 63–60

Photographed by: Ayden Anwar

A night that appeared destined to swing Frisco Memorial’s way instead became a defining moment for Frisco Heritage, as the Coyotes delivered a stunning late rally to earn a 63–61 district victory on Thursday.

For three quarters, Memorial controlled the flow. The Warriors carried a 32–27 advantage into halftime and continued to build separation after the break, fueled by athletic finishes and perimeter shooting. When Xander Pruzinsky knocked down a deep three early in the fourth quarter, Memorial held a commanding 52–38 lead, its largest of the night.

Heritage didn’t flinch.

Behind the leadership of its senior class, the Coyotes slowly chipped away at the deficit. Cameron Lomax ignited the turnaround, pouring in 12 points in roughly three minutes, flipping the energy of the game and forcing Memorial into defensive scramble mode. What was once a double-digit gap quickly shrank to a one-possession contest.

Memorial answered briefly, but Heritage seized control in crunch time. A finish at the rim by Bryson Howard, followed by a momentum-swinging steal and fast-break conversion from Chandler Cornell, pushed the Coyotes in front with just over two minutes remaining. From there, execution replaced emotion as Heritage managed the closing possessions.

Howard later extended the margin at the free-throw line before Caden Deffebaugh responded with a dunk to cut the deficit to two with 1:13 left. Memorial had chances, but Heritage stayed disciplined, closing the game from the stripe to seal the win.

Lomax finished with a game-high 31 points, while Howard added 19 points and eight rebounds in a strong all-around effort. Deffebaugh led Memorial with 22 points, and Pruzinsky contributed 17.

The result keeps Heritage unbeaten in District 11-5A at 8–0, improving its overall record to 22–2. Memorial falls to 21–7 overall and 5–3 in district, despite leading for the majority of the contest.