Ponder put on an offensive clinic inside the Alamodome Thursday morning.

The Lions tied the UIL State 3A state championship single-game record for assists (22) and 3-point makes (10) during the first semifinal against Holliday.

Ponder not only won the game in convincingly, 62-46, but the team also shot 62 percent from the floor in doing so, good enough for the third-best all-time mark in UIL Class 3A state tournament history. Their 22 assists came off 23 total made baskets. Carter Eddy finished with a team-high 18 points and three others had double figures, Max Hutcherson (15), Timber Crider (10) and Jace Sullivan (10). Crider finished with a game-high five assists.

“I didn't know about the record, no,” Ponder head coach JD Sullivan said. “But I'm not gonna say that I'm not surprised by the fact that we set a record, but I'm not surprised by the way that we pass the ball or shoot the ball.

“We generally don't keep track of that even though we have statistics that we keep. None of our players are interested in the individual accolades. We believe shining a light on others then will reflect back on you. If you're open to take the shot. If you're not you make the pass.”

Ironically, the assist record that the 2023-24 Ponder team set tied a mark originally set by Ponder’s 2009 team. The 3-point record (10) is also held by Santa Rosa (2018), Brock (2013) and Troup (1994).

“This is all about team and we don't have any division one players in basketball,” Sullivan said. “We got a division one baseball guy and another division one football guy but we don't have any division one basketball players and so we don't have any one guy that's just going to take over the game.”