Playoff showdowns for Bulldogs, Titans, Indians & Sharks come into focus
Published 12:10 am Friday, February 21, 2020
- Nederland guard Cedric Pete (23) looks for an open man as Memorial guard Amaree Abram (1) defends during a Feb. 14 game in Port Arthur. (I.C. Murrell/The News) 2-14-20
Deer Park High School will be the setting for Nederland’s 5A boys basketball bi-district game against Galveston Ball on Tuesday.
That same night, Goose Creek Memorial High will host Port Neches-Groves’ 5A first-rounder against Crosby. Tipoff for both games is set for 7 p.m.
For the second year in a row, all four Mid- and South County boys basketball teams will compete in the UIL playoffs. This marks the first time PNG (14-19) has qualified for the postseason in back-to-back years.
Nederland (26-9) tied for the District 21-5A championship but settled for the No. 2 seed by mutual agreement with co-champion Port Arthur Memorial. The Bulldogs, winners of seven straight, are going for their first playoff victory since 2014.
Ball (20-14) is the third seed from District 22-5A, where it finished 10-4.
PNG earned the fourth seed with an overtime victory over Cleveland in Tuesday’s regular-season finale. Crosby (24-10) secured the No. 1 seed by virtue of its win over Baytown Lee and Texas City’s loss to Ball on Tuesday.
PA Memorial (28-6) will take on fourth-place Friendswood (14-15) at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Lee College in Baytown.
Sabine Pass (17-16) finished second in 24-2A but is awaiting the outcome of Saturday’s third-place tiebreaker in 23-2A between West Sabine and Zavalla before knowing when and where its bi-district contest will be held.
About I.C. Murrell
I.C. Murrell was promoted to editor of The News, effective Oct. 14, 2019. He previously served as sports editor since August 2015 and has won or shared eight first-place awards from state newspaper associations and corporations. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, grew up mostly in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
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