The Ellison Eagles and the Shoemaker Grey Wolves won area-round basketball matchups Friday to move to the third round of the Class 5A playoffs, setting up a pair of games with familiar foes.
Ellison took down Pflugerville Hendrickson, 70-57, at Marble Falls High School to move to 31-
5 on the season and set up a showdown with District 22-5A counterpart Belton following its 52-36 victory over Pflugerville Connally.
Shoemaker defeated the Bastrop Cedar Creek Eagles, 59-56, at Taylor High School to go to 29-8.
The Grey Wolves next meet the Waco University Trojans, 53-51 winners over the Georgetown Eagles.
Ellison and Belton will play their regional quarterfinal at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Waco Midway High School. Shoemaker and University will play at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Gatesville High School.
Tight throughout the game Friday against Cedar Creek, the Grey Wolves were behind, 15-14, after the first quarter and ahead, 30-29, at halftime.
In the second half, Shoemaker led 46-43 at the end of the third quarter, a margin that stayed the same by the end of the fourth.
Anthony “DJ” Moore had a monster game for the Grey Wolves, pouring in 28 points. After scoring a single three-pointer in the first, he scored 11 in the second, including 4-for-4 at the free throw line.
In the third quarter, he did it again, tallying 11 points and shooting a perfect 4-for-4 from the line, then finished with five points in the fourth quarter.
Jaymes Brown-Peterson scored 15, Da’Rayvion Starling scored 10 and Gregory Dumas contributed six to lead Shoemaker.
In Ellison’s 13-point victory against Hendrickson, Ahziel “JoJo” McIver led with 26 points, Nasaun Parker put in 22 and Sean Parks scored eight to lead the Eagles.
All four District 22-5A playoff qualifiers now enter the third round of the playoffs.
Following Ellison’s victory on Tuesday, Eagles Head Coach Alberto Jones pointed out the challenge each team in the district faces throughout league play.
“We have a gauntlet of a district,” he said. “That definitely prepares us (for the playoffs).”
One more win for Shoemaker, Ellison or both sends them to the Region III Tournament.
