TEXARKANA, Texas - Liberty-Eylau gave Texas High all it wanted, but the Tigers were able to withstand Tuesday in an intra-city game at Tiger Center.
The Leopards chased THS nearly the entire night - L-E held a lead for just 14 seconds - and tied the game with just over three minutes remaining, but the Tigers pulled away by scoring the game's final seven points.
Texas High (9-10) finished with a 47 percent shooting percentage on 25-of-53 shooting. The Tigers also held a 36-29 advantage in rebounding but finished with 22 turnovers, compared with 19 committed by the Leopards.
Liberty-Eylau (13-8) shot 41 percent on 26-of-63 field goals. L-E committed 14 of its 19 turnovers in the first half, cleaned up the ball protection after intermission and forced eight turnovers by the Tigers in the fourth quarter.
Up four at halftime, Texas High used a 12-3 run in the third period to regain a double-digit lead at 49-38 with 2:43 left in the quarter.
The teams traded baskets the rest of the third, and the Tigers held a 53-44 lead entering the final stanza.
The Leopards cut their deficit to three (55-52) by starting the fourth with an 8-2 run with 4:49 remaining to play. With 3:49 left, L-E had made it a one-possession game (56-54).
Kentraile Atkins scored his eighth point of the fourth for Liberty-Eylau to knot the score at 56 with 3:22 left.
C.J. Kelley nailed a 3-pointer for Texas High on the following possession, and THS was able to fend off another late charge by L-E, which didn't score again.
Kelley scored 13 points and had 12 rebounds for a double-double performance for Texas High. Ben DePriest added 12 points and three other Tigers scored at least eight.
Javon Hunter led all scorers with 15 points for the Leopards, Atkins scored 14 and Beandre Wafer added 10.
The Tigers used an 11-point run midway through the second quarter to build a 35-23 lead with 3:25 left before intermission, but the Leopards closed the half on a 10-2 rally to enter the locker rooms down by four (37-33).
Liberty-Eylau shot 48 percent (15 of 31) in the first half, and THS had a 46 percent field goal percentage on 16 of 35 shooting.
The Tigers built a 11-4 lead in the first 3:08 of the game, and a 5-point run extended that to 16-6 with 3:29 left in the first quarter.
The Leopards cut their deficit to 20-18 by the end of the first.
Takylan Hampton drained a 3-pointer for L-E to start the second, giving the Leopards their first lead. Just 2:54 later, Texas High led 35-23.
Liberty-Eylau's junior varsity rallied in the fourth quarter to edge the Tigers, 51-50. Keyvuntae Featherston and Tahj Stewart scored 15 points apiece for the Leopards, and Josh Jennings added 12.
Jakobie Johnson led the Tiger jayvee with 20 points, Braxton White scored 16 and Jayden Godwin had 10 points.
Texas High built a 12-point advantage in the first quarter of the freshmen game and held off a late charge for a 60-49 win. Damon Augustus led the Tigers with 19 points, and Xavier Dangerfield chipped in with 15 points.
Tracy Revils had 11 points for the Leopard freshmen, and Roderick Galloway added 10 points.