HEARNE – The Thrall Tigerettes varsity basketball team defeated the Westwood Panthers 49-35 in the bi-district round of the playoffs Monday, Feb. 16 at Heane High School.
Senior guard Kinley Hoffman led all scorers with 14 points, all of which came in the second half. Senior Neveah Irvin added 11 points.
Playoff nerves were evident early, as both teams committed multiple turnovers and missed routine shots. The game’s first point came at the 4-minute mark of the first quarter when Irvin made a free throw to give Thrall a 1-0 lead.
Irvin later added another free throw, but the Tigerettes trailed 6-2 at the end of the first quarter.
Thrall settled in during the second quarter. A 3-pointer and a layup by junior Aniston Procter gave the Tigerettes a 7-6 lead and sparked a 20-6 run in the period, sending Thrall into halftime with momentum.
Hoffman took over in the second half. She scored seven points in the third quarter to help extend the Tigerettes’ lead to 36-20 heading into the fourth.
Westwood mounted a late push, using a 13-3 run to cut the deficit to 39-33 in the final period.
Thrall regained control down the stretch, and Hoffman sealed the victory with a 3-pointer before the buzzer.
The Tigerettes advance to the area round of the playoffs and will face West High School on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 6:30 p.m. at Academy High School.
Photo courtesy of Thrall ISD
