The Gazette-Enterprise

GUADALUPE COUNTY — All eight area basketball teams are at different phases of their district slates, and all eight compete tonight.

The Seguin and Navarro girls teams are battling for playoff spots with six games to go, while the Navarro boys hope to close out the first half of 29-2A play in first place. The Seguin boys will try to end the first half of 25-5A action on a winning note, while the Marion girls hope to exact revenge against a La Vernia team who beat it just 10 days ago.

The Marion boys will aim for victory after losing the 26-3A opener on Tuesday, and the Lifegate boys and girls teams each have tough challenges at First Baptist tonight.

Girls basketball

Marion (19-7, 2-1 in 26-3A) opens the middle third of triple round robin district play by hosting La Vernia at 7:30 p.m. at Marion High School. Marion finished the first third of district play with a 63-25 rout of West Campus on Tuesday.

Over the last two games, the Bulldogs have won by 55 and 38 points, respectively. They also beat Luling, 81-26, on Jan. 11.

Marion has surrendered an average of 25.5 points, and scored an average of 72 points in the two victories. The Bulldogs also have found another scoring threat to complement Mackenzie Langemeier in Reyna Noriega. Noriega has posted double-digit point totals during each of the last four games.

A Marion win tonight moves the Bulldogs into a first-place tie with La Vernia with five games left to play, including the rubber game between the teams on Jan. 29, at La Vernia.

Navarro (12-13, 5-3 in 29-2A) hosts Kenedy at 6:30 p.m. at the Navarro Special Events Center. The Lady Panthers are coming off one of their more dominant wins, 53-33, over Randolph on Tuesday at Randolph.

The win marked just the second time in district play that Navarro was victorious on the road. The Lady Panthers dropped road games against Poth (60-41), Nixon-Smiley (51-46) and Yorktown (49-48), during the first half of district play.

Poth and Nixon-Smiley hold the top two spots in the district standings, while Navarro and Yorktown are tied for third. Navarro and Yorktown trail Nixon-Smiley by a single game.

Since the Lady Panthers faced Poth, Nixon-Smiley and Yorktown on the road during the first half of 29-2A play, they’ll host all three the second time around. Navarro hosts Poth on Tuesday, Nixon-Smiley on Jan. 29, and Yorktown on Feb. 5.

Seguin (9-16, 4-4 in 25-5A) found out how facing a team the second time around at its place can be tough as the Lady Matadors suffered a 72-50 setback at the hands of Bastrop. Seguin beat Bastrop, 65-47, on Dec. 4, at Goldie Harris Gymnasium.

Speaking of facing a team the second time around, the Lady Matadors have a golden opportunity to exact some revenge tonight when they host Akins at 8 p.m. at Goldie Harris. Akins beat Seguin, 69-63, on Dec. 11, in Austin.

Seguin is in fifth place, just one game behind Westlake and Anderson, who are tied for third in the district standings.

Lifegate (9-1, 2-0 in TAPPS 7-A) will aim for a little revenge of its own as well tonight. Only this one traces its roots back to volleyball season where First Baptist swept the Lady Falcons to claim the district crown.

The teams meet on the court at 6 p.m., but this time they’ll be dribbling up and down the court as opposed to hitting the ball across the court. Tonight’s game will be the first of two meetings between Lifegate and First Baptist.

Boys basketball

Navarro (12-9, 5-1 in 29-2A) has a chance to not only extend its winning streak to six games, but also finish the first half of district play with six wins in as many league contests. The Panthers have not lost a district contest since dropping a 71-67 decision at Poth on Dec. 18, and they have not lost a game since Dec. 28, when they suffered a 66-47 setback at the hands of Ingram Tom Moore in the Natalia Tournament.

Navarro had a reputation for pushing the ball up the court, and scoring almost at will. But the Panthers have stepped things up defensively as well by allowing 56 points or less in the last four games.

The backcourt play of Zach Hernandez and the frontcourt trio of Wesley Ply, Clayton Warren and A.K. Williams have all been pivotal in Navarro’s recent successes.

Marion (11-12, 0-1 in 26-3A) hopes to score an upset over No. 6 La Vernia (19-1, 1-0 in 26-3A) when the teams meet at 7:30 p.m. at La Vernia High School. Tonight’s game will be the first of three meetings between the Bulldogs and Bears.

Marion is coming off a 66-39 loss to West Campus on Tuesday, and has lost four of its last five contests. Bulldogs coach Jon Allen will need the quartet of Josh Brown, Trent Corkran, Austin Gomez and Ricky Gonzales to step up and score tonight.

Seguin (11-11, 1-5 in 25-5A) hopes to stop the bleeding tonight when the Matadors visit Akins at 8:15. Seguin has just eight players on its roster, and has been hampered by injuries.

Lifegate (10-8, 2-1 in TAPPS 7-A) visits First Baptist at 7:30 p.m., and is coming off a tough 36-30 loss to Fredericksburg Heritage.

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