The Mount Pleasant Tigers were mere inches from forcing overtime against a talented Forney squad and trying to keep their unbeaten streak alive.
Unfortunately, the Tigers’ last ditch effort fell tantalizingly short as the Jackrabbits held off the Tigers for a 56-53 win to end Mount Pleasant’s dream season.
The Tigers battled back from an early deficit to cut Forney’s first quarter lead to 15-11. Mount Pleasant went on a 10-0 run to end the first quarter and start the second to make it 19-11, followed by a Forney run to make it 21-19. The two teams continued battling, with Mount Pleasant leading at halftime, 26-22 and going up early in the third quarter, 34-39, before Forney came back to take the lead at the end of the third.
The teams turned up the defense to start the final frame, but after a 6-0 run pulled the Tigers within three, Forney went on their own 6-0 run to take a 51-42 lead with 1:15 left in the game.
The Tigers refused to back down with back to back threes bracketing two Forney free throws to pull within three with 10 seconds left. Mount Pleasant forced a Jackrabbit turnover and got a shot to tie, but the shot wouldn’t go down and Forney escaped and advanced to the regional quarterfinals, where they will take on Red Oak.
Kelcey Morris led Mount Pleasant with 16 points. Reggie Webster added 11 and Kai Price finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Payton Chism and Carter Chism both added seven and Kyler Smith finished with two.
Genarius Edwards led Forney with 21 points. Ronnie Harrison added 15 and Jaden Jefferson finished with 10.
Mount Pleasant’s season ends at 34-1. It was the final game for Tiger seniors Xavier Hills, Kevi Heath, Kelcey Morris, Payton Chism, Luke Hampton and Kyler Smith and student assistants Taniah Johnson and Evan Shelley.