| Sports
Highlights MHS
girls knock out Quinlan
By Kerry Yancey
Monitor Staff Writer
WILLS POINT–In a game where neither team shot well against tight
defensive pressure, the Mabank Lady Panthers got more
opportunities, grabbing a 46-27 bidistrict championship victory
over the Quinlan Ford Lady Panthers Monday night.
Now 21-11 on the season, Mabank advances to the area round of
the state basketball playoffs, facing another set of Lady
Panthers from Spring Hill at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18, at Wagstaff
Gym on the Tyler Junior College campus.
 Quinlan
Ford, the District 14-3A third-place team, ends its season at
23-10.
Monday’s contest was the second game of a double-header at Wills
Point High School. The 14-3A runner-up Lindale Lady Eagles
knocked the 13-3A third-place North Forney Lady Falcons out of
the playoffs with a 39-35 victory.
Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Mabank junior Olivia Pannell (center, with ball) muscles her way
between Quinlan Ford defenders Jenna Butte (24) and Amanda Paul
during the first half of Mabank's 46-27 bidistrict championship
win Monday in Wills Point.
From the start Monday night, it was clear the Mabank girls
had an edge in team speed and inside size, although both
defenses forced turnovers early before Mabank opened an 8-4 lead
on a shot by 6-2 junior Olivia Pannell.
A drive and three-point play by senior Sara Springer gave Mabank
a 10-4 lead and prompted a Quitman time-out, and a put-back by
junior sub Alex Brady at the buzzer put Mabank up by 10 at the
end of the first quarter, 14-4.
Quinlan junior Haley Estes drove inside to cut the Mabank margin
to nine points at 16-7, but that was as close as the Ford girls
got.
Mabank sophomore point guard Kourtney Holyfield drove for a
layup to make it 18-7, and Makenna Allen hit two free throws to
make it 20-7, prompting the large MHS cheering section to chant
“She’s a freshman.”
Up by 12 at halftime, 22-10, the Mabank girls steadily pulled
away in the third quarter behind an 8-2 run that made it 30-10
before Quinlan’s Katie Klieber broke the ice over the Quinlan
bucket.
Quinlan put together a mini-rally when Jessica Keeton hit a long
two (her only points) and Jenna Butte followed with another
bucket (her only points, too) to cut the Mabank lead to 15, but
Pannell’s inside presence helped Mabank continue to lead by 15
going into the fourth quarter.
Mabank continued to pressure Quinlan on defense and feed Pannell
and Allen inside on offense in the fourth quarter. Pannell
converted a 1-and-1 opportunity to make it a 20-point game at
43-23 with 3:20 left to play, and Springer hit two free throws
with 3:09 left to give Mabank its biggest lead at 45-23.
From that point, Mabank looked to run the clock on every
offensive possession as the Mabank fans chanted, “This game’s
over!”
Pannell led all scorers with 13 points, with Allen adding 10 and
Holyfield eight.
Mabank also got six points and numerous defensive pressures from
Ashton Norman, while Springer finished with five points and both
Brady and Cheyenne Alldredge finished with two points each.
Klieber finished with eight points to lead the Ford girls, with
Amanda Paul adding five.
Quinlan also got three points each from Natalie Enriquez and
Estes, two points each from Keeton, Butte and Lauren Nail, and
free throws from Taylor Elrod and Goines.
EHS
wins, but misses playoffs
Monitor Staff Reports
BUFFALO–The Eustace Bulldogs finished off their road schedule
Friday night with a 56-50 win over the hosting Buffalo Bison.
The win gives the Bulldogs a 6-5 record in District 14-2A
basketball competition, as they were scheduled to host Leon for
“senior night” Tuesday.
Mildred’s win over Leon Friday night officially eliminated the
Bulldogs from the postseason picture.
Going into the final game, Malakoff leads the district at 9-2,
with Teague a half-game back at 9-3 and Mildred one full game
back at 8-3.
“It’s sad, because we beat Mildred and Malakoff, and lost to
Teague in overtime, so I know we are just as good as they are,”
Bulldog head coach Chad Martinez said later.
At Buffalo Friday, the Bulldogs got off to a slow start, falling
behind 14-9 in the first quarter, but put together a 21-7 run in
the second quarter to take a nine-point halftime lead, 30-21.
The Bison were able to cut three points off the Bulldogs’ lead
in the third quarter, but both teams scored 13 points each in
the fourth quarter to leave the final margin at six.
Senior Addison Scott led all scorers with 24 points, as Chad
Barina added nine, Dalton Lewis eight, Braden Strickland seven,
Billy Key five and John Bradburn three.
MHS boys
clinch playoffs
Monitor Staff Reports
MABANK–The Mabank Panthers locked up the district’s third-place
playoff berth with a dominating 66-39 “senior night” win over
the visiting Kaufman Lions Friday night.
With their second straight District 13-3A victory, the Panthers
improved to 5-4 in loop play, and were scheduled to visit one of
the front-runners, the Ferris Yellowjackets, in the regular
season finale Tuesday.
Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Mabank Panther guard Ryan Walker (10) corrals a loose ball
(tipped back toward him by Panther Brandon Hatfield, at right)
and heads upcourt, pursued by Kaufman Lions Gabriel Lira (left)
and Je'Mikal Jobe (20) during the first half of Mabank's
playoff-clinching 66-39 win over the visiting Lions Friday.
Ferris and Crandall (who played hosting Kemp Tuesday night) were
battling for the district’s top spot, with Ferris having two
losses and Crandall one loss heading into that game. Mabank
coach Mark Allen said it won’t make any difference in the
playoff structure if the Panthers win or lose Tuesday.
As the district’s third-place team, the Panthers will face
either Wills Point or Lindale in bidistrict, which was
tentatively set for Tuesday, Feb. 22, at a site to be determined
after Tuesday night’s season finales.
In front of a fairly large crowd Friday night, the Panthers
dominated the second half, outscoring the Lions 39-15 after the
intermission.
The first half was a nip-and-tuck affair, as the Panthers opened
a 13-8 lead in the first quarter behind David Marler, who scored
eight of his game-high 19 points in the period.
Marler got free fairly often as the Lions came out in a
box-and-one defense, with one defender literally attached to
district MVP candidate Jordan Allen, following him – and holding
him, Mabank fans screamed – as he weaved through the other
players.
The Lions clawed back in the second quarter, outscoring the
Panthers 16-14 behind seven points (including a trey) from guard
Gabriel Lira and four points from Je’Mikal Jobe, cutting the
Mabank lead to just three at halftime, 27-24.
Mabank broke open the contest in the third quarter, outscoring
the Lions 20-7 behind Marler (six points), T.C. Greene (six
points) and Jordan Allen (five, including a trey).
Up by 16 going into the fourth quarter, the Panthers kept the
pressure on, outscoring the Lions 19-8 in the final frame behind
Greene (six points) and Allen (six, including his third trey) to
forge the final 27-point margin.
In addition to Marler’s 19, the Panthers got 18 from Allen, 14
from Greene and eight (including two treys) from Brandon
Hatfield.
The Panthers also got three points (all in the fourth quarter)
from Ryan Walker, two from Colton Thomas and free throws from
Hunter Carrico and Chase Graham.
Lira led the Lions with 15 points, while Jobe added 12.
Mabank also swept the sub-varsity games, as the junior varsity
won 63-34 and the freshmen won 69-33.
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