Hallsville Takes #3 Seed in District Tie-Breaker

HUGHES SPRINGS — Through the first quarter Friday night in a playoff seeding game between Hallsville and Texas High, it was a game of runs.

In the final three quarters, the Tigers ran away.

A 9-0 run in a 20-point second quarter lifted Texas High to a 70-42 win over Hallsville and the No. 2 seed out of District 15-5A at Mustang Gym.

Hallsville will take the No. 3 seed out of 15-5A.

Both notched wins in their regular-season meetings on the road with Texas High taking a 74-64 win in Hallsville and the Bobcats grabbing a double-overtime, 79-72, win in Texarkana.

Both teams finished with 11-3 marks in 15-5A action, behind district champion Marshall.

Now that the district's seeds are set, the postseason begins with Hallsville (22-9) meeting 24-5 John Tyler, who finished the regular season ranked No. 20 in the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches' poll, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at LeTourneau University in the bi-district round. The Lions tied with Lufkin atop the District 16-5A standings but the Panthers took the top seed via a coin flip.

Texas High (19-9) will meet Whitehouse (20-11) in the nightcap of a 15-5A vs. 16-5A bi-district doubleheader on Tuesday in Tatum. Mount Pleasant (21-9) takes on Lufkin (28-4) at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday at Eagle Coliseum.

Marshall will meet Jacksonville, who took down Corsicana for the fourth 16-5A spot, at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Tyler Lee.

For Hallsville, Coleton Lasseter led eight Bobcats with at least two points with a team-high 10 to go along with eight rebounds. Blaine Parker finished with seven points and six boards and Johnathan Mitchell had six points and five rebounds for the Bobcats.

Texas High jumped ahead 14-5 before a 6-0 run from Hallsville, highlighted by four-straight from the free-throw line from Lassetter, pulled the Bobcats to within four after the first quarter.

Texas High opened the second on a 5-0 run before a bucket from Mitchell off a dish from Parker, followed by a three from Parker, pulled the Bobcats to within four.

Rhone had a three and the Tigers had three putbacks in a 9-0 run to seize control and build a 36-20 lead at halftime — a margin the Tigers pushed to 24 points in the third quarter.