The Wylie Pirates had a strong showing at the TABC Showcase over the weekend, winning all three games.

Playing one game Saturday evening at Hebron High School, the Pirates defeated San Antonio Brandeis in a dominant 66-47 victory. Over the three games, the Pirates won each game by double digits and handled their opponents with ease, particularly on the defensive end.

Head coach Stephen Pearce was happy with the results over the three-game weekend, knowing that the results count for very little early in the summer.

“I’m excited to see when we face some adversity and how some of our guys will respond,” Pearce said. “I don’t think we face it much over the weekend, but we got some guys who can score and get up and defend.”

Wylie’s defense was on full display in the first half of the Brandeis game, holding their opponents to minimal scoring in the first half and claiming a quick double-digit lead. With several players standing over 6 feet, the Pirates have more length on the defensive end than in years past and showed an ability to force turnovers in the early going.

“[Ball pressure] is important to us, and it’s not something we try to change year to year,” Pearce said. “We got a revolving door of guys who can really get in someone’s chest and defend, and probably more than in years past so it looks even better.”

In game two Sunday morning at the Southwest Athletic Complex in Carrollton, Wylie outpaced Leander to a 61-43 victory. Cyrus Shaw was a big part of the run for Wylie in the second half, getting several layups off of turnovers and leading the team in scoring for the game. A move into the Wylie area, he’s showing he can be a big part of the rotation next season.

“We’re excited about what he can do,” Pearce said. “He’s been coming to the summer workouts and working hard for us. He’s got a lot of talent, and we’re just trying to figure out how he fits in the rotation.”

Shaw got a lot of baskets in transition in the second game off of Wylie’s desire to play faster than in years past. Without returning point guard Donaven Davis, the team is working to fill that position, and the burden of playmaking has come to wing player Noah Mallory and forward Jackson Rogers, two of the returning guys from last season. Both players showed an ability to start the fast break by rebounding the ball and finding open teammates throughout the game.

“It’s something we’ve emphasized this offseason,” Pearce said. “We want to score points and to score more points, we’ve got to move a little quicker. We’ve been working to have guys be able to play off the glass and work hard on the break. All of these guys can play with the basketball in their hands.”

Mallory saved his biggest scoring game for last, as the Pirates defeated Pasadena Dobie 74-51 later that afternoon. He scored 31 points in the contest, showing off his shooting ability for a player 6-foot-4.

As the Pirates now head into summer workouts, they’re happy with the performances, but not satisfied with results in June.

“We just want to see what we got,” Pearce said. “We’re working through our roster and seeing who we can rely on, but we’ve got to keep working and plugging away at things.”

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