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By Tommy Mann Jr.

Special to The Orange Leader

Two local basketball teams continue their push toward a state championship after

returning victorious in the bi-district round of the Class 4A playoffs.

The Bridge City Lady Cardinals (31-3) defeated the Rusk Lady Eagles 68-53 in the

Bi-District round on Monday night in Huntington. The Lady Cardinals overcame a

slow start and pulled away in the second-half of the game for the win as Kaylee

Britten and Whitney Cunningham both chipped in 11 points each, while

teammates Nicole Sasser and Mia Sterling both added 10 points each in the game.

The No. 10 state-ranked Lady Cardinals will now take on the No. 9 state-ranked

Houston Wheatley Lady Wildcats (22-2). The game will be held at 7 p.m., Friday,

Feb. 14 at Hamshire-Fannett High School.

The winner of this game will advance to the regional semifinals of the Class 4A

Division 2 playoffs and play the winner of the game between the Smithville Lady

Tigers (25-9) and No. 20 state-ranked Jarrell Lady Cougars (29-6). That game will

be held either on Monday, Feb. 17 or Tuesday, Feb. 18.

The Little Cypress-Mauriceville Lady Bears (28-8) traveled to Lufkin on Monday

night and came home with a 59-47 victory over the Palestine Lady Wildcats in the

bi-district round. Keylie Washburn led LC-M with 18 points for the game, while

Eden Frenzel scored 13 points and Maya Meadows added 12 points on the night.

Now the Lady Bears will face the Huffman-Hargrave Lady Falcons in the area

round of the playoffs at 6 p.m., Thursday, Fe. 13, at East Chambers High School in

Winnie. Hargrave (15-18) defeated Houston Worthing, 61-40, on Monday night.

The winner of this game will move on to the regional semifinals Class 4A Division

1 playoffs and face the winner of the game between the China Spring Lady

Chargers (17-16) and the Almeta Crawford Lady Cougars (18-16). That game will

be schedule on Monday, Feb. 17 or Tuesday, Feb. 18.

The Orangefield Lady Bobcats (30-8) had high expectations for the postseason.

Unfortunately, the Lady Bobcats lost to the Pollok Central Lady Bulldogs, 46-42, in

a game held at Jasper High School.

Brooklyn Wagoner led the Orangefield Lady Bobcats with 15 points for the game,

along with five steals and four rebounds. Mikayla Locke chipped in 11 points and

secured three rebounds, while teammate Olivia Smith added nine points.

The Port Arthur Memorial Lady Titans lost its Class 5A bi-district matchup on

Tuesday night as the Lady Titans lost 60-37 to the Iowa Colony Lady Pioneers.