RUSK —
In the first 22 or so minutes of the Palestine girls’ basketball team’s bi-district playoff game against Pollok Central here Monday, Dana Whitehead didn’t hit a three-point shot.
It wasn’t for a lack of trying. The Ladycat senior took 10 during that stretch, without any finding the bottom of the net.
But, when her team needed a big shot from her the most, Whitehead delivered.
Whitehead hit her first three with 1:40 left in the third quarter to end a Central run, then hit one at the buzzer at the end of the third as well to put Palestine up five.
She added two more in the fourth as she helped the Ladycats hold off the Lady Dogs for a 53-45 victory here at Eagle Coliseum.
“(I was thinking) don’t give up, keep your head in the game and they’ll eventually fall,” Whitehead said.
With the win, Palestine moves on to face China Spring, the champions of District 17-3A. That game will be at either 6 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. Friday in Corsicana.
Central started the game fast, taking a 7-2 lead early in the first quarter. But, Palestine answered that with its own 12-2 run and, from that point on, never relinquished the lead.
But, it wasn’t for a lack of effort by the Lady Dogs.
Time after time, Central would make runs to cut Palestine’s lead to three, two or even one point.
But, every time, Palestine seemed to have an answer for the run.
“That’s been their motto most of the year,” PHS coach Joseph Baker said of his team. “I’m very impressed with them, that they didn’t crack under the pressure. It just shows how they’re growing in different areas, and that’s great to see going into this next round.”
There was Whitehead’s three late in the third to end that run, and then early in the fourth, after the Lady Dogs opened the quarter on a 4-0 run to make it 41-40 Palestine, Kierra Wilson calmly knocked down two free throws to extend the lead back to three.
That’s the way it went, with Palestine never giving the lead back and Central never letting the Ladycats out of striking distance.
After Wilson’s free throws extended the Ladycats’ lead to three, Palestine added two it and never again did Central get to within one possession.
It was, by any definition, a poor shooting night for the Ladycats, who were 19-for-61 (31 percent) from the field. But, the Ladycats are still moving on.
“There are different aspects to it,” Baker said. “If the outside shot isn’t working, then pound it inside and see what we can do. Another aspect to it is turn defense into offense.”
Palestine did that well, with a pressure-defense that forced Central into countless turnovers in the back court.
Palestine advanced to the playoffs with a 46-29 win over Groesbeck in the third-place tiebreaker game Saturday at Fairfield High School.
Paradyse Page led the way for the Ladycats with 17 points as well as six rebounds and six steals.
Kierra Wilson added 12 points, as did Dana Whitehead, who also pulled down seven rebounds.
SLOCUM 52, Lovelady 35
For the second-straight matchup, the eighth-ranked Slocum girls’ basketball team was too much for rival Lovelady.
The Lady Mustangs eased to a 52-35 win over the 16th-ranked Lady Lions Saturday to earn the District 20-A, Division I title.
With its win in the tiebreaker game, Slocum earns a first round bye in the playoffs, and also ends Lovelady’s run of six-straight district championships.
Kelsee Webb led Slocum with 15 points, while Landry Lane had 12 and Valerie Larkin added 11.
The Lady Mustangs (29-2) await the winner of the Harleton/Wortham bi-district matchup in the area round.
H.S. BOYS BASKETBALL
CAYUGA 107, Dawson 23
For the second-straight year, the Cayuga boys’ basketball team’s seniors don’t know what it’s like to drop a district game.
The fifth-ranked Wildcats followed up Friday’s dramatic win over Kerens with an easy, 107-23 rout of Dawson Monday, to finish the 18-A, Division I season a perfect 10-0.
Deon Shofner outscored Dawson on his own, finishing with 29 points, while fellow senior Preston Anderson came close, finishing with 22.
Brayden Walthall added 18 in the win, while both Chandler Rigdon and Colton Harrell pitched in 11.
As the district champions, Cayuga (24-6, 10-0) won’t open the playoffs until Feb. 21 at the earliest, in the area round.
Local Sports
H.S. Basketball: Palestine gets past Central in bi-district round
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H.S. Softball Playoffs: Grapeland scores early and often in semifinal clincher
Just like in game one, the Grapeland Sandiettes jumped out to a big lead during Saturday's decisive Game 3 against the Joaquin.
The only difference is this time the Sandiettes never let off the gas on their way to a dominant 12-2 win over the Lady Rams in the do-or-die regional semifinal game.
With the win, Grapeland moves on to its third regional final in four years, where they will take on Beckville. It’s the third-straight year the teams will meet in the postseason. -
H.S. Baseball Playoffs: Elkhart eases past Warren in Game 2
After needing three games to end its first two playoff series this postseason, the Elkhart baseball team made sure it didn’t happen a third time.
The Elks — who are seeking a second-straight trip to the state tournament — rolled past Warren Saturday, 6-0, at Lufkin’s Morris Franks Park. The win came a night after Elkhart topped the Warriors, 5-1, to open the series on Friday. -
H.S. Softball Playoffs: Grapeland, Joaquin split games Friday
It was a tale of two games during Friday's Regional Semifinal between the Grapeland Sandiettes and Joaquin Lady Rams. The Sandiettes and Lady Rams combined for 22 runs in the Sandiettes 12-10 win in Game 1.
Game 2 was a much different as the teams wouldn't combine for 20 hits, or even 10 runs as the Lady Rams picked up a 4-2 win.
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H.S. Football: Palestine's Owens leads strong class of area recruits
Palestine junior Jarrell Owens hasn’t ever played a significant down in a game for the Wildcats at linebacker in his football career.
Yet, the position is obviously where his future lies.
Owens is one of a handful of area juniors drawing significant college interest, and the Palestine running back/linebacker already holds an official offer from Texas Tech University. -
H.S. Baseball Playoffs: Harleton shuts down Cayuga in regional quarterfinal
In an as-expected pitcher’s duel, it took only one off inning to cost Cayuga and ace Chantz Holland.
Holland gave up four hits and hit a batter in the top of the third inning, and Harleton turned that into four runs — the only runs of the game — as Harleton topped Cayuga, 4-0, here at the Lindale ISD Baseball and Softball Complex in regional quarterfinal action. -
H.S. Baseball: Patchwork lineup still working for Cayuga
The Cayuga baseball team that will take the field tonight against Harleton in the regional quarterfinals doesn’t look a lot like the Cayuga team that rolled through district play earlier this season.
Injuries have hampered the look of the Wildcat lineup, but Cayuga still finds itself into the playoffs’ third round for yet another season. -
H.S. Softball: Grapeland going strong into regional semifinals
It’s been relatively easy-going so far in the state softball playoffs for the Grapeland softball team.
The Sandiettes have lost only once so far in the playoffs, and that came thanks a forfeit in the area round against Avery, when Grapeland decided not to play rather than play without missing members at the state golf tournament. -
Local Roundup: Cayuga's Hughes named 19-A MVP
After a stellar regular season that saw them capture a district title, then a solid playoff run that ended with a regional quarterfinal loss to Grapeland, the Cayuga softball team showed well on the District 19-A all-district teams.
Cayuga star freshman pitcher Kimberly Hughes capped her stellar year by earning the district’s Most Valuable Player award. Joining Hughes in earning superlative honors was her battery-mate Maci Poland, who was named the league’s Defensive MVP. -
H.S. Golf State Tournament: Grapeland looks to cap impressive season with title
It’s the course on which legendary PGA player Ben Crenshaw — winner of two Master’s Green Jackets — learned the game as a young man.
It’s where legendary Austin-based golf coach Harvey Penick molded players like Crenshaw and Tom Kite into stalwarts on the professional tours.
A year ago, Lions Municipal Golf Course in Austin was the place where, despite improving by 20 strokes as a team on Day 2, the Grapeland girls’ golf team fell short of state title, instead finishing second — for the second-straight season. -
H.S. Baseball: Palestine, Elkhart open playoffs Thursday
After a seven-year absence from postseason play that ended last year, the Palestine baseball team opens up its second-straight playoff campaign Tuesday.
The Wildcats, who captured District 19-3A’s second seed with a defeat of Fairfield Friday, will open the postseason again Diboll in a best-of-three series. - More Local Sports Headlines
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