PARIS, Texas-Mount Pleasant collapsed in the final minutes of the game to cede to McKinney North, 65-53.
Kevin Savage hit a crowd-stirring triple for the Tigers (25-5) with 3:07 left in the game to bring the Tigers to within one point.
Mount Pleasant had all the signs of pulling off the big fourth quarter comeback as it gave answers for every shot, forced turnovers, and converted on fast break opportunities.
James Moore hit a big deuce for the Tigers at 6:14 to make it a two-possession game, 42-38.
Shannon Watkins retaliated for McKinney North (21-8) with a tip-in off a missed layup to give the Bulldogs a 4-point lead.
Josh McGill sank two free throws to show that Mount Pleasant was still present.
The Bulldogs, unfazed, responded with five points from Maliek Perry to extend the McKinney North lead 49-40.
Dorian Gliton hit a trey for the Tigers that started them on 9-0 run that would ultimately bring the game to within one point when Savage hit his three, 49-48 in favor of McKinney North.
It was a 10-point run by the Bulldogs in the final 2 minutes that put Mount Pleasant under.
""McKinney North is great, a well-coached team, and they were the better team tonight, and they deserve to advance," said Tiger head coach Joey Chism. "I think our effort was there, but mentally we weren't in the right spot for us to win the battles.
"I think that mentally our strength wasn't there. The effort, hustle, and fight were all there. I don't know if we ran out of gas or what but we just could't pull out the win."
The Tigers were never too far gone, always managing to find their way back into the game.
When the first quarter came to a close Mt.Pleasant only trailed by four.
In the second quarter McKinney extended its lead to eight, 28-20.
The Tigers made up some of the lost ground in the third outscoring the Bulldogs by three.
It was a dynamic final quarter from McKinney that provided the margin needed.
Mount Pleasant committed 11 turnovers and forced 15 from its opponent.
Shannon Watkins, who claimed high-scorer of the night brought in 20 points; his comrades Zachary Frazier and Maleil Perry added 11 and 14 respectively.
Kevin Savage led the Tigers, collecting 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Josh McGill added 11 points to the mix, James Moore threw down a dozen, and Dorian Gliton put in 10.
The Bulldogs claimed the Class 5A area championship and advanced to the regional quarterfinals next week.
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McKinney North 16 12 13 24-65
Mt.Pleasant 14 6 16 17-53
MK(65):Harris 4, Brehm 8, Perry 14, Watkins 20, B. Frazier 3, Z. Frazier 11. TEAM TOTALS 22 19-29 15 65
MP(53):B. McGill 2, J. McGill 11, Savage 16, Glinton 10, Cannon 2, Moore 12 TEAM TOTAL 21 5-9 20 53
3-point goals: MK- Perry 2, Z. Frazier 1. MP- Savage 4, Glinton 1, Moore 1.