Brookeland Wins Regional Quarterfinal over Laneville 65 to 60

The Brookeland Wildcats basketball team won their third game in the UIL Basketball playoffs defeating the Laneville Yellowjackets by the score of 65 to 60. The teams met for the third round game at Lufkin Hudson High School with a berth in the Region 3 Tournament this weekend on the line. It was a hard fought game with the lead changing hands on several occasions. It was Laneville that had the hot hand early on with the Jackets, Jordan Ross scoring 12 points in the first quarter and the Jackets led 18 to 15 at the end of the first quarter. Brookeland’s Cade Morgan heated up from the 3 point arch in the second quarter and Brookeland took a one point lead into halftime 36 to 35. Morgan along with Landon Smith helped the Wildcats add to their lead and Brookeland led 50 to 47 heading into the final quarter. Brookeland won the game as they controlled the ball in the final minutes of the game and won 65 to 60. Smith had a game high 24 points followed by Morgan with 20. Jake Bennett had 8 points and Braden McCugh and Sammy Lundquist both had 6, Zach Bennett and Taylor Dacy both scored 2 points. Coach Brandon Shumake said after the game, “That it was a team effort, and the team just never gave up. These guys worked hard, and they never quit.” Brookeland advances to the Region 3 Tournament with a 6 PM game on Friday against Rocksprings. The Regional Tournament will be played at the Burger Center which is a facility in the Austin ISD. If the Wildcats win on Friday, then they will play again early on Saturday afternoon for the Regional Championship against the Wells vs, Fayetteville winner. If the Wildcats emerge from the tournament as the Regional Champions, they will play in a State Semi Final game to be played at the Alamodome in San Antonio with a berth in the State Championship game on the line. There was a great crowd that followed the Wildcats to Lufkin and KJAS broadcast the game live. KJAS will broadcast the game on Friday and if the Wildcats are successful the second game on Saturday.