Basketball Roundup: Hallsville, Laneville Clinch Playoff Berths + More

TYLER -- Mesquite Horn clinched District 12-5A's No. 2 seed with a 61-48 win against Longview on Friday at Tyler Lee.

Longview (20-14) enters the playoffs as 12-5A's No. 3 seed and plays 16th-ranked Rowlett in a Class 5A Region II bi-district playoff at a site and time to be determined.

Longview, which saw a fourth-quarter lead evaporate a week ago in a loss to district champion Mesquite, couldn't hold on to a four-point lead on Horn going into the fourth quarter of Friday's district playoff game at Lee Varsity Gym.

Trio of Bobcats Spark Hallsville to Playoff Berth-Clinching Win

HALLSVILLE -- Thaddeus Fagan, Cody Blankenship, and Nolan Faires fueled Hallsville's 65-46 win against rival Pine Tree on Friday in District 14-4A's battle for fourth place.

The win gives Hallsville (13-19) the final playoff spot from 14-4A. The teams finished the regular season tied 4-6 in district having beaten each other once.

Fagan scored a game-high 17 points, while Blankenship and Faires added 16 and 15, respectivley.

Caleb Chumley led Pine Tree (11-22) with 15 points. Teammate Trever Barker scored 10.

Kilgore Clinches No. 2 Seed from District 16-3A

KILGORE -- Sophomores Nick Orange and Trey Conrod led Kilgore to a 66-47 win against Spring Hill on Friday that gives the Bulldogs District 16-3A's No. 2 seed.

Orange scored 22 points and Conrod had 19 for the Dogs, who improved to 13-14 overall.

Clay Lattier led Spring Hill (21-11) with 19 points and six rebounds, while Adam Lattier scored 10 points. Matt Williams dished out five assists.

Waskom Routs Elysian Fields to Set Up Playoff for 17-2A's Final Seed

WASKOM -- Waskom hammered rival Elysian Fields 82-36 to set up a Saturday playoff for District 17-2A's final playoff spot.

Waskom plays Jefferson at 2 p.m. Saturday at ETBU in Marshall for the third seed from 17-2A. White Oak and Tatum have already clinched the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, respectively.

The winner of Saturday's third-place playoff faces Troup at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Carthage.

No. 11 LaPoynor Rolls Past Elkhart in Warmup Game

TYLER -- Octavious Crear led four Flyers in double figures as 11th-ranked LaPoynor routed Elkhart 92-55 in a Friday warmup game at UT Tyler.

Crear had 23 points and six assists, while Ashton Abendroth added 17 points. Deon Johnson scored 16 points. James Jackson had 10 points and eight rebounds. Mason Motal scored eight points and grabbed eight boards.

Logan McClelland matched Crear's total of six assists.

LaPoynor enters the Class A Division I playoffs with a 26-5 record.

No. 17 Laneville Claims Final District 25-A D-II Playoff Spot

LUFKIN -- No. 17 Laneville prevailed 64-54 against No. 20 Chireno on Friday night at Angelina College to secure District 25-A Division II's final playoff spot.

Laneville, in its first season under veteran coach Hosea Lee, enters the Class A Division II playoffs with a 22-10 record. The top two spots from 25-A D-II were already decided by coin flip: No. 8 Oakwood got the No. 1 seed, while No. 11 Douglass got the No. 2 seed.

Tyler Grace Clinches Playoff Spot with Win Over Carrollton Prince of Peace

WHITEHOUSE -- Tyler Grace outscored Carrollton Prince of Peace by 13 points in the second and fourth quarters to notch a 59-50 district tournament win Friday in Whitehouse.

The victory clinched a TAPPS playoff spot for Grace, which was led by Trevor Gunter's 22 points, five rebounds, and four blocks. Verlo Levels had 14 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Andrew Melhart hit 3 of 7 three-point attempts and finished with nine points and six rebounds.

Grace plays Dallas Parish Episcopal at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Whitehouse to determine the third and fourth seeds from the district.

GIRLS

No. 18 Tatum Tops Palestine Westwood in Area Playoff

NACOGDOCHES -- Eighteenth-ranked Tatum beat Palestine Westwood 55-38 in Friday's Class 2A Region III area playoff behind Sydni Centers' 16 points.

Tatum, which improved to 31-3, got 11 points from Kiana Turner and eight from Kaylah Starling.

Tatum plays No. 6 Crockett next week in a 2A Region III quarterfinal. The winner advances to the Region III tournament.