Mesquite Horn Guards Propel Jaguars to Key 70-50 Win at Longview

LONGVIEW -- Even after dropping a close game at Mesquite a week ago, Longview's boys basketball team controlled its own destiny in the District 12-5A race.

Not anymore.

Mesquite Horn repelled a third-quarter Longview comeback attempt, repeatedly turning turnovers into easy transition buckets in a 70-50 win at Lobo Coliseum on Tuesday night.

The loss, Longview's second in a row, drops the Lobos (15-12) to 5-2 in 12-5A entering Friday's game at Rockwall-Heath.

Horn's Anthony Sharp scored a game-high 30 points, including 17 points in a second half that saw him make 7 of 7 field-goal attempts and shoot 3-for-3 from the free-throw line. Almost all of the buckets came in transition. Fellow guard Adrian Chavis scored 17 points, combining with Sharp to fuel the Jaguars backcourt advantage.

"We didn't get back, we didn't close out. There were a lot of things we didn't do. We just weren't ready to play," said Longview coach Billy Goffney. "We got outplayed, and that's the bottom line.

"We've just gotta get better in practice. Our preparation is not there. We're kinda cavalier when it comes to work habits in practice. We've gotta do a better job in practice. We probably lost the game yesterday. They outworked us yesterday in their practice, and you could tell. They came out better prepared than we did and played harder than we did."

Point guard Stephon Anthony led Longview with 11 points, while forward Dorian Leonard had 10 points and 14 rebounds. Post Cadell Williams and guard D'Keilan Lynch scored 10 points apiece.

Horn forward Zach Charles added 13 points as he, Sharp, and Chevis scored all but 10 of the Jaguars' points.

Longview trailed 33-22 at halftime, but cut the Horn lead to 43-35 late in the third quarter. Horn (11-13, 5-2) answered with the next seven points, including a run-capping Chevis three-pointer of a Sharp assist for a 15-point lead.

"They got it to the back end. We had to start trying to press a little bit and they did a good job of finishing off the press break. They got a couple of easy baskets," said Goffney of Horn's ability to thwart Longview's third-quarter comeback. "When you're facing good guards, you can't be lazy on defense, and they did what good guards are supposed to do. They got the ball to the right people and they finished at the bucket."

Horn led 52-38 entering the fourth, when the Jaguars blew the game open with their transition game. Horn's largest lead was 23 points, which the Jags reached twice, the second being 65-42.

---

District 12-5A
Boys Basketball

Mesquite Horn 70, Longview 50

Lobo Coliseum, Longview

Mesquite Horn -- 16 17 19 18 -- 70
Longview -- 10 12 16 12 -- 50

Mesquite Horn (11-13, 5-2) -- Anthony Sharp 30, Adrian Chevis 17, Zach Charles 13, Jon McMiller 4, Ronnie Jones 3, Sylvester Wells 2, Allan Hodge 1.
Longview (15-12, 5-2) -- Stephon Anthony 11, Dorian Leonard 10, D'Keilan Lynch 10, Cadell Williams 10, Jordan Whitaker 5, Zaycoven Henderson 2, Travin Howard 2.