TEXARKANA — The Liberty-Eylau Leopards outlasted the Pleasant Grove Hawks 66-54 in boys varsity basketball Tuesday night at Hawks gym.
The Hawks fall to 5-7 with an 0-1 mark in district play. Liberty-Eylau improves to 17-4 with a 1-0 mark in district games.
Pleasant Grove was led by Torian Phillips with 15 points. Kennon Kelly scored 13 for the Hawks. Cohen Cade had 10.
Leopards coach Billy Brewer felt his team came out and played well and demonstrated good cohesion.
“Both groups played well,” Brewer said. “Great chemistry he just wish they cut down on the turnovers a little bit besides that he thought they played great.”
For the Leopards, Tracey Revels Jr. had 12 points, Jakwon Roberts also had 12, Shawn White scored 11, and Chris Lewis contributed 11.
Hawks coach Craig Collvins acknowledged that the Leopards’ pressure induced them to commit turnovers, compromising their ability to play a complete game.
“L-E’s pressure gave us problems tonight, and we can’t turn the ball over as many times as we did tonight and expect to win,” said Collvins. “On the flip side, I thought we have ourselves a chance to get back in the game in the fourth with our own pressure. We’ve still got a ways in our process but our guys have been resilient all year and hopefully we get back on track this Friday vs. North Lamar.
The Hawks go on the road to play the North Lamar Panthers with the action on 94.1 FM ESPN Texarkana with Bob DelGiorno providing play-by-play.
Pleasant Grove beat the Leopards in the ninth grade and junior varsity games. Princeton Vaughn and Keighton King led the Hawks with 18 and 15 in the ninth grade game as Pleasant Grove prevailed 67-50.
In the junior varsity contest, Rip Thomas had 20 in Pleasant Grove’s 51-46 victory.
