MacArthur girls take down Sam Houston in girls basketball playoffs

Senior Ellie Lee leads Brahmas to 67-45 victory, 18th straight win

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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MacArthur senior guard Ellie Lee scored 20 points to lead the Brahmas to a 67-45 win over Sam Houston in the first round of the girls basketball playoffs. MacArthur overcame a slow start and took control in the second quarter, never relinquishing the lead. The Brahmas, who are on an 18-game winning streak, will face Cedar Park in the second round.

Why it matters

MacArthur's victory extends their impressive winning streak and keeps their playoff run alive. The Brahmas are looking to improve on last year's second-round exit, while Sam Houston's season comes to an end despite a strong campaign that saw them win the District 27-5A championship.

The details

MacArthur started slowly, trailing 15-10 after the first quarter as Sam Houston's trio of Faira Starks, Laniya Lee, and Jakiyah Caldwell combined for all of the Hurricanes' points. But the Brahmas found their rhythm in the second quarter, with Ellie Lee and Faith Thomas hitting key 3-pointers to give MacArthur a 26-22 halftime lead. MacArthur pulled away in the second half, outscoring Sam Houston 41-23 over the final two quarters.

  • MacArthur took a 26-22 lead into halftime on Tuesday, February 18, 2026.
  • MacArthur outscored Sam Houston 41-23 in the second half to win 67-45 on Tuesday, February 18, 2026.

The players

Ellie Lee

A senior guard for MacArthur who scored a game-high 20 points to lead the Brahmas to victory.

Faith Thomas

A senior shooting guard for MacArthur who scored 14 points, including two key 3-pointers in the second quarter to give the Brahmas the lead.

Faira Starks

A sophomore who led Sam Houston with 17 points in the loss.

Laniya Lee

A sophomore who scored 14 points for Sam Houston.

Jakiyah Caldwell

A junior who added 12 points for Sam Houston.

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What they’re saying

“We started off pretty slow. We got the jitters, the playoff jitters. We got our composure back, finally, I think, three minutes into the second quarter, and we got up from there.”

— Clarissa Torres, MacArthur coach (expressnews.com)

“Yeah, still got a ways to go. Good thing is they're young, one junior, two sophomores. So, we'll be back.”

— Chancy Campbell, Sam Houston coach (expressnews.com)

What’s next

MacArthur will face Cedar Park in the second round of the girls basketball playoffs.

The takeaway

MacArthur's victory extends their impressive winning streak to 18 games and keeps their playoff hopes alive, while Sam Houston's season comes to an end despite a strong campaign that saw them win their district championship.