PATTONVILLE, Texas - McLeod made every basket count in its Class 2A area round basketball playoff game Wednesday.
The Longhorns (20-5) beat the Lindsay Knights at Patriot Gym on the campus of Prairiland High School, 43-38.
Lindsay brought the game within two points of McLeod, 40-38, but was unable to score a basket in the final 30 seconds.
The Knights were able to trim the McLeod lead to single digits in the third quarter behind their perimeter shooting and defensive pressure.
Lindsay went on a 9-5 run, cutting the Longhorns' advantage to eight, 32-24, heading into the final period.
Caleb McKinney added 12 points for Lindsay and teammate Tyler Yancey chipped in six points.
McLeod went on a 6-0 spurt to begin the second quarter, behind the perimeter shooting of Casey Smith and Keldyn Schubert, giving McLeod a seven-point cushion, 18-11, with 4:30 before intermission.
Schubert led McLeod with 17 points.
The Longhorns outscored the Knights, 16-3 in the second period, taking a 12-point lead into the locker room, 27-15.
Andrew Schully collected six points for Lindsay and teammate Yash Patel scored four points.
McLeod took its first lead of the game on Smith's layup through the Knights' defense with 3:30 left in the first period.
Smith scored seven of the Longhorns' 12 points in the first quarter, and finished the game with 13.
McLeod will play Wolfe City in the quarterfinals. Wolfe City beat Maud, 53-43, in the area playoffs.