By Mike Waters / Contributor
Parish Episcopal boys basketball head coach Ahmad Ajami said his team had a game plan for the TAPPS 6A boys state championship game against San Antonio TMI Episcopal.
“We got what we wanted,” a jubilant Ajami later exclaimed after his Panthers rolled past TMI, 62-48, Saturday at Robinson High School.
After allowing two baskets to open the game, Parish senior Armon Almuttar ignited a 10-0 burst that culminated in a Hudson Lucas dunk. Lucas, a Nevada signee, added another slam in the waning moments that gave Parish a 22-10 first-quarter advantage.
“We knew this game would be a battle,” Ajami said. “We came out and executed offensively, and played great defense that triggered our fast break and gave us some good looks. We were locked in.”
Lucas tallied 15 of his game-high 23 points in the opening half with Parish holding a 39-27 lead at intermission.
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“We were focused,” Lucas said. “We played great team defense and executed offensively early on and set the tone. We wanted to dictate the pace.”
The No. 18 prospect in Texas in 2026 according to 247sports.com and 2025 second-team all-state selection, Lucas enjoyed a stellar state tournament, also pouring in a game-leading 24 points in a 61-44 semifinal win over Plano John Paul II.
Lucas had plenty of help from his teammates, including senior Robert Moore IV,, who scored 14.
Twin brothers Armon and Antoine Almuttar finished with 13 and two points, respectively, and drew high praise for their defense from Ajami.
The dynamic duo was tasked with containing TMI standout Elijah Williams, a Baylor signee rated No. 3 state in Texas in 2026 and the son of former TMI head coach and former NBA Coach of the Year Monty Williams.
“We had a specific game plan for him [Williams],” Ajami said. “Antoine started out on him and did a great job but picked up two early fouls. So we switched Armon to him and he did a tremendous job.”
The duo, each first-team all-state selections in both 2024 and 2025, held Williams to just 10 points.
“Antoine is by far our best defender,” Armon said. “He always guards the other team’s best player. After I was switched to guard their guy, I just did not want to be the team’s weak link.”
Ajami extolled the “tremendous leadership” of the senior trio of all-tournament selections Hudson, Armon and Antoine.
“What these guys have brought to the program is more than just wins and championships,” he said. “Just outstanding, great character, very unselfish players.”
Winners of 12 consecutive games and ranked No. 3 in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches TAPPS poll, Parish (21-6) competed against a grueling schedule in the regular season, which Ajami credits leading to postseason success.
“That tough non-district schedule definitely helped prepare us for the playoffs,” he said. “We played some great teams early on. There is nothing that we have not seen.”
He also credited the team for its drive to win after falling short at the buzzer in the championship game a year ago to Austin St. Michael’s, 50-48.
“We did talk about last year’s game,” he said. “But we did not dwell on it. It was in the back of our minds, though, and this was a much better outcome this year.”
