Monitor Photo/Blaine Clamon
The Mabank Panthers gather with the cheerleaders after the team won the district championship.

Monitor Photo/Blaine Clamon
Hagen Tijerina and the Mabank Panthers celebrate with the student section after beating Canton for the 16-4A district title.

Monitor Photo/Blaine Clamon
Hagen Tijerina of Mabank shoots a layup in the Panthers’ Feb. 13 home finale versus Canton. 

MABANK–The Mabank Panthers beat the Canton Eagles, 54-42, in a Feb. 13 regular-season finale which gave the Panthers the 16-4A district title after six consecutive wins. Both teams began the game with a 10-1 district record.
With Canton leading early at 5-4, Mabank scored 5-straight points, capped off by Luke Carter’s 3-pointer, and led 9-5.
For Canton, Jaden Pickerill’s basket trimmed the Panther lead to 9-7 with 2:35 left in the first quarter. The Panthers extended their lead to 15-7 with a 6-0 run to end the first quarter.
Mabank led 17-7 early in the second quarter after a Carter basket. After the ensuing timeout, Canton’s Cason Bell scored 6 points in a row to get the Eagles within 17-13 with 5:22 remaining until halftime. Mabank’s Hagen Tijerina stopped the Canton run with his basket, increasing the Panther lead to 19-13.
At 19-15, Carter’s 3-pointer built the Mabank lead to 22-15. After Kaden Smith’s ensuing basket for Canton, JJ Flores sank a Mabank 3-pointer to allow the Panthers to go into the break leading 25-17.
With Mabank leading 29-19 with 4:45 left in the third quarter, Pickerill of Canton cut it to 29-21, but Mabank’s Ty Perkins scored to build back the Panther lead to 31-21.
It was 37-27 at the 1:05 mark of the third period, then Canton’s Smith cut it to 37-29 with two free throws. The Panthers got a bucket before the buzzer and led 39-29 going into the fourth quarter.
Ty Perkins increased the Mabank lead to 41-29 before Tre Taylor’s Canton basket cut it to 41-31. The Panthers scored 7-straight points, with 5 of those by Carter, to extend their lead to 48-31 with 4:16 left to play.
After a Canton 8-1 run, the Eagles cut their deficit to 49-39 with 2:40 left in the contest but lost by 12 points.