With the potential of taking the second seed in district with a win on senior night against the Snyder Tigers Tuesday, the Levelland Lobos fell short, 41-34, finishing the season with the third seed.
The Lobos end their regular season, 16-15, and 6-4 in district play.
For first-year Lobo Head Coach Parker Hicks, their goal has been to cut the net and give his eight seniors the opportunity to experience a playoff win.
The Lobos will begin their playoff campaign against the Graham Steers in the 2023 4A Region One Bi-District Championships in Anson at 6 p.m.
Recognizing eight senior Lobos and senior trainer before tip-off, the Lobos looked to lock up the second seed in district.
In a competitive game in their first matchup against the Tigers in Snyder during the first half of district, the Lobos were able to convert possessions into points and apply heavy defensive pressure throughout the entire game.
Although the Lobos came out of Snyder with a win, it was a close game until the waning moments of the fourth quarter.
The second match-up in Levelland would be no different as points were at a premium for both squads in the first half of play.
Both the Lobos and Tigers managing six points in the first quarter, Levelland struggled to find open shots and the Snyder defense held their ground in the paint against the likes of senior Lobos Taeshaun Jones, Eryk Jones and Carson Boggs.
Even at 6-6 heading into the second, ball movement for the Tigers presented an issue for the Lobos defense. Finishing the second quarter 4-8 at the free-throw line and a pair of two-point shots, The Lobos found themselves trailing, 21-14.
Clawing their way back throughout the third quarter, the Lobos trailed 27-25.
Both teams would begin to exchange possessions with both crowds increasing their intensity as each team failed to extend their lead.
E. Jones found himself at the stripe going 5-6, with a two-point bucket as well. Senior Konner Alexander was able to get a layup in transition, but the offensive momentum stopped their for the Lobos.
With minutes winding down, the Lobos were forced to send Snyder to the line.
A fairly large Lobo crowd and rowdy student section continued to cheer as each Snyder free-throw was had.
The Tigers managed to stay calm and collected at the line as they went 11-14 from the stripe.
Levelland’s E. Jones was the only Lobo in double figures with 12 points. T. Jones and Boggs each had six points while Ladarian Jones wrapped up his senior night with four.
Konner Alexander added three points, Jerry Haile scored two for the Lobos and Jayden Castillo finished with one point.
Levelland would hit at just 11-37 from the floor and 1-9 from three-point land.
Additionally, the Lobos were 11-16 from the stripe.
With district play finished, Coach Hicks hopes his team can move on from an unsatisfactory performance Tuesday night and learn from their short comings.
“I don’t think we played to our standard and I am not sure if it was because of senior night or the added pressure for a lot of our guys playing their last home game,” said Coach Hicks. “I told the guys we have to put this game behind us because our goal of winning a playoff game is still ahead of us and that means there is still work that needs to be done.”
Coach Hicks has relied heavily on his group of eight seniors to lead the team and find that veteran maturity to move on from mistakes or not getting to high on wins. “Treating injuries and cleaning up small details is what were looking at for now until it comes time to play Graham,” explained Coach Hicks. “Our guys have to find the right balance of focus and not press.”
Studying Graham and what their ball club brings to the court, Coach Hicks explained that they have a lot of size and strength across the board.
Calling the Steer’s a basketball team with football players, Coach Hicks did not discredit their talent and skill on the hard wood.
“Looking at their team, they are physical with a lot of size, and it is going to be a tough matchup,” said Coach Hicks. “We’re reaching the point where it is absolutely crucial we play to the best of our abilities if we want to continue our journey. We most certainly can do it, but our room for errors has to be small.”