ATHENS -- The District of Doom is down to three teams.

Lufkin expelled Waxahachie from the Class 5A girls basketball playoffs Friday with a 63-36 area round victory at Trinity Valley Community College and kept East Texas in the running for a state championship.

"We just wanted to keep them in front," Lady Panthers head coach Harold Scroggins said. "Their offense is, penetrate and kick it out for the wide open 3. I think the girls did a good job stopping penetration and closing down on the shooters."

Alexis Hood eights rebounds, four points and one block in the Lady Panthers' winning effort.
Alexis Hood eights rebounds, four points and one block in the Lady Panthers' winning effort.
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If the score doesn't say enough, check out some of the other numbers.

Lufkin (30-1) -- ranked seventh in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches' Class 5A poll -- held Waxahachie (22-8) to 11 of 51 from the field. That's 21.5 percent.

The Lady Panthers also won the rebound battle on both ends of the floor and forced 11 of Waxahachie's 21 turnovers.

Lufkin never trailed against Waxahachie, the third seed from District 14-5A. It opened the area round on a 5-0 run, allowed Waxahachie to within 7-6 and then responded with a 7-0 run to establish a permanent multi-possession lead.

The lead expanded to double digits at the 5:31 mark of the second quarter on Ivey Massie's successful 3-point shot.

Senior forward NaTasha Mack scored a game-best 19 points for the Lady Panthers. She also recorded five defensive rebounds, three offensive rebounds and four blocks during the meeting.

Like Mack, Alexis Hood won eight total rebounds in the contest.

Mycah McDonald's 13 points placed her second on Lufkin's score sheet to round out the team's double-digit scorers.

Destinee Pointer put up a team-best 13 points for Waxahachie.

The Lady Panthers' reward is a date with Waxahachie's district mate, Mansfield Summit, 7:30 p.m. Monday at Buffalo High School in the regional quarterfinal round. Summit is one of three teams from that league still running around the Region II bracket.

Sulphur Springs fell to Summit, 67-32, Thursday in the area round. Mansfield Legacy from the same league simultaneously edged John Tyler while undefeated Mansfield Timberview doubled up Corsicana.

Summit finished second in the strong district with only two losses. Both came against Timberview.

The road is getting steeper.

State is a bit closer.

"Summit is a lot like us," Scroggins said. "They've got bigs inside, their guards are quick, they like to run, they're going to press. It's going to be a game. They're very athletic. It's going to be an up-and-down, fast paced game. But I'll take my girls over anybody right now."

Lufkin's bench celebrates the curtain call for its primary rotation early in the fourth quarter of Friday's area round victory.
Lufkin's bench celebrates the curtain call for its primary rotation early in the fourth quarter of Friday's area round victory.
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No. 7 Lufkin 63, Waxahachie 36

Girls Class 5A Area Round Playoff Game
At Trinity Valley Community College, Athens

Waxahachie      10      5      8    13    --    36
Lufkin               16    13    20    14    --    63

WAXAHACHIE (22-8) -- Destinee Pointer 13, Aarion Copeland 9, Diamond Atchinson 7, Destiny Bobb 5, Jordan McGee 2.
LUFKIN (30-1) -- NaTasha Mack 19, Mycah McDonald 13, KeKe Cleveland 7, Ivey Massie 7, Ridajia Miller 7, Alexis Hood 4, JaKayla Suell 4, CeCe Hodge 2.
THREE-POINT GOALS -- Waxahachie: Atchinson, Pointer Lufkin: Mack, Massie.

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