Barbe's Mia Colston hit 8 3-pointers Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, to lead Barbe to a 71-57 win over Northshore in the regional round of the Nonselect Division I playoffs at Barbe High School. (Rodrick Anderson / American Press)

Mia Colston got the green light Monday night and hit eight 3-pointers to lead No. 5 Barbe to a 71-57 win over No. 12 Northshore in the Nonselect Division I regional playoffs at Barbe High School.

“She has the greenest light in the history of green lights. She can shoot it. She has earned that respect with how hard she works. She puts in the time. She has the green light. If she wants to shoot it, she throws that thing up.”

The senior guard scored 26 points after hitting a slump recently. In her last four games, Colston hadn’t scored more than nine points. Bucs (31-3) advanced to the quarterfinals for the second time in three seasons and will play at No. 4 Haughton on Thursday at 6 p.m.

“She had not been hitting at her normal rate, so I told her before the game that this was the perfect time to get out of it and be you,” Digiglia said. “She rose to the challenge.”

She hit her first three nearly two minutes into the game to give the Bucs a 6-0 lead. He nailed her second two minutes later to break an 8-8 tie. She made four 3-pointers in the first quarter and two more in the second quarter to help the Bucs build up 32-26 by halftime.

Colston closed the third quarter with her eighth three to put Barbe up 52-40.

The Bucs had plenty of other offense to back up Colston. Jordynn Blanchard scored all of her 10 points in the fourth quarter. Maleigha James scored 10 points, Aniyah Lavan added 13 points, and Davelyn Richard came off the bench to score eight points.

“Dav was awesome off the bench,” Digiglia said. “Maleigha stepped up.

“She didn’t have her best game, but she hit big buckets when we needed them. We are a unit. We are not just one person. Jordynn is a closer at the free throw line, and she hit a big three and a layup. She knows how to hit the big shots.”

North Texas signee Cherie Spencer scored a game-high 28 points, but the Vikings (24-7) never led. Spencer hit a 3-pointer midway through the first quarter to tie the game at 8-8.

“When you play against a great player, she is going to hit shots,” Digiglia said. “I thought we had some mental lapses in the first half. W

“We probably gave up a little too much. We are a 5A, and this isn’t like the other divisions. We are going to play college players. We are going to play kids that are going to hit shots. You just have to respond to it and make it as tough as you can.”