TUESDAY HUGE FOR SABINE BASKETBALL | Girls playoffs vs. Waskom in Longview, boys senior night
Sabine basketball fans have a big night Tuesday night.
The Lady Cardinals, coached by Sara Cantrell, open the University Interscholastic League’s Class 3A playoffs with a game against Waskom, and the boys finish the regular season at home against Hughes Springs.
First, the girls. Sabine (18-11), fresh off a 41-32 win in the regular season finale over New Diana, will face Waskom in the bi-district, or first, round of the 3A postseason. That game will be Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at Longview High School. Sabine is the home team for the game.
The Lady Cardinals go into the postseason as the No. 2 seed from District 16-3A, with an 8-2 district record – their only two losses of district play were to the eventual champion, Gladewater, so they’ve obviously won eight of their last 10 games.
Waskom finished 14-14, and with a 7-5 district record. But the Lady Wildcats have won three in a row (Troup, 42-32; at Elysian Fields, 60-21; and Troup again, a tiebreaker game, 44-31).
In Sabine’s last game a week ago, the win over New Diana, Autumn Rhodes led with 12 points. Caitlyn Stewart had eight. Kylee Longhofer had five, and so did Ella Roberts. Maddy Pierce and Bailey Pierce each had four, Loren Colquitt had two, and Kaitlynn Sanchez had one.
As for Sabine’s Cardinals, they’re already the district champions (SABINE BOYS WIN DISTRICT TITLE | Cardinals win at Daingerfield; one more to go in regular season), having taken care of that last week. This week, they will take on Hughes Springs in the last game of the regular season, and coach Colby Carr says there won’t be a warm-up game. They’ll be back in action next week for the first round of the boys Class 3A playoffs, wherever that takes them, and against whomever.
Right now, the focus is on finishing out the 16-3A slate undefeated, and honoring the seniors. Sabine’s boys are 22-9 overall, and 9-0 in district play. In that last game, the win over Daingerfield, Hudson McNatt had 23 – we reported that at ETBlitz – but we didn’t know at the time that McNatt surpassed 1,000 career points in that win.
Congratulations, Hudson, and good luck to both Sabine teams in the playoffs!
But first, Hughes Springs, and senior night.
Hughes Springs is 8-22 on the season, 3-6 in district play and has lost four of its last five, including Friday’s game at home to White Oak, 50-34.
Sabine’s seniors this season are Kristian Ferguson, Connor Loveless, Jaydan McPherson, Clayne Simmons and Matt Smith.