Apaches News
Wed, Feb 25, 2009 - [Men's Basketball]
By Joe Buie, Tyler Morning Telegraph
 
With two games remaining in the Region XIV men's basketball season, only Lon Morris has clinched a first-round bye for the playoffs.
 
The Bearcats did so by winning Saturday to improve to 14-3 in league play, three games ahead of third-place Blinn (11-6) in the South Zone.
  
The top two teams in each zone will skip first-round play in the regional tournament, set to get under way March 5 at UT Tyler's Herrington Patriot Center.
 
Tyler Junior College (12-5 in Region XIV) remained in a three-way tie for first in the North after the Apaches, Paris (12-5) and Navarro (12-5) all won last weekend. Also, TJC split with both Paris and Navarro in the regular season.
 
The Apaches (21-5 overall) travel to Louisiana today (7 p.m.) to take on first-year league member Bossier Parish (12-16, 2-15), which was eliminated from postseason contention last Saturday when the Cavaliers dropped three games behind sixth-place Kilgore.

In another key game today, Navarro travels to Paris looking to sweep the Dragons.
The Apaches will complete the regular season this Saturday at home against South Zone member Angelina, while Paris is at Kilgore and Navarro entertains Panola.

Smoke Signals: The Apaches are trying for their third straight road win. They are coming off a 69-60 triumph at Kilgore in which they shot 43 percent from the field, made 10 of 27 3-point attempts, and were 5-for-15 from the free throw line.  Brent Barz, fresh off a two-game suspension, and Alan Branch were dressed out but did not play against Kilgore. Key players in the win were Denzel Jackson (13 rebounds), Reggie Nelson (14 points), Brad Gay (17 points), LaBree Sledge (15 points) and Johnathan Edwards (10 points, five rebounds).