The Slocum girls’ basketball team knew it’d have to climb over some heavyweights if it wanted to play for a state title in Austin next weekend.
Tuesday, the eighth-ranked Lady Mustangs shed the first, outlasting No. 5 Kerens, 95-90, in double overtime at Tyler Junior College in the regional quarterfinals.
To advance to the regional final, the Lady Mustangs will have to do something no one else has been able to do this season: Beat No. 2 Martinsville.
The two teams face off in the first of two Class 1A, Division I Region III semifinals at 10 a.m. Friday, back at TJC’s Wagstafff Gym.
The Lady Pirates are 34-0 and coming off of a 50-37 win over Evadale in their own regional quarterfinal.
The Lady Mustangs’ win Tuesday was record-setting, as Slocum’s 95 points were the second most scored by a girls’ team in this year’s playoffs. Only Lipan’s 97 points in its 1A, Division II area round win over Bynum topped the Lady Mustangs.
Slocum got the win behind the shooting of Valerie Larkin, who scored a team-high 40 points — 34 of which came in the second half and overtimes.
Larkin hit a three-pointer late in the second overtime to make it 83-80 Slocum, a lead the Lady Mustangs would never give up.
Kerens twice cut the deficit to one point, only to watch Brice Sizemore sink free throws to keep Slocum in front.
Sizemore finished with 16 points, while both Jordan Ives and Landry Lane had 14 and Kelsee Webb had 11.
Taylor Ames led Kerens with 42, while Cambree Betts and Breanna Wells each had 14.
Slocum advanced to the regional tournament last year, falling in the semifinals to state-bound Martin’s Mill.
If the Lady Mustangs want a rematch of that game, they’ll first have to get past Martinsville. Martin’s Mill — ranked No. 1 in the state — faces No. 20 Evadale in the second semifinal at noon Friday.
Local Sports
H.S. Girls Basketball: Slocum girls clinch dramatic return to regional tournament
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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. -
H.S. Softball Playoffs: Bruner's 2 HRs lead Grapeland past Cross Roads
Grapeland senior Shelby Bruner hadn’t hit a home run all season for the Sandiettes.
She picked a good time to find a power-boost.
Bruner hit not one but two home runs, Baylee Lumbreraz struck out 15 and the Grapeland softball team rolled to a 14-1 victory over Cross Roads to open the playoffs Monday at Palestine High School. -
H.S. Tennis: Neches' Wade ready for more state glory
The spring semester is a busy one for plenty of high school athletes in the area.
The spring has a higher concentration of sports going on, plus there are state tests, prom and other extra-curricular activities in the works.
That has been the case for Neches junior Kelsee Wade, who this semester alone has played basketball, softball and tennis, and thrown the discus, as well as taken tests and worked with her animals for the Anderson County Youth Livestock Show.
Oh, and she’s also the No. 1-ranked student in the Neches’ Class of 2014. - More Local Sports Headlines
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H.S. Softball Playoffs: Grapeland, Joaquin split games Friday
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