(Geronimo) — A three-point heave off a loose ball by San Antonio Burbank’s Eli Garcia dropped in at the buzzer, handing the Navarro Panthers their first loss of the season in a 58-55 thriller on Tuesday night.
Burbank controlled the game through the first two and a half quarters, building a commanding 44-26 advantage at the midway point of the third. The Panthers mounted a furious comeback over the next ten minutes, outscoring the Bulldogs 26-7. Navarro sophomore Weston Shields drilled a corner three-pointer to give the Panthers a 52-51 lead with 2:40 remaining.
With Navarro trailing 55-52, junior Bayley Burgess hit a three-pointer from the left wing to tie the game with 12 seconds left. The Bulldogs brought the ball downcourt and nearly turned it over, but a deflection landed in the hands of Garcia, who launched a shot from 25 feet just before the horn sounded.
Burgess led Navarro with 13 points, while Shields contributed 12. Junior Samuel Ibumba also reached double figures with 10 points. Panther senior Alvant Bates fueled the third-quarter comeback with several key offensive rebounds that kept possessions alive.
Panther head coach Jarrett Tyler talked about Bates and his team following the game.
“That’s what they’re capable of, that’s what I told them at halftime—we’re not doing what I know we can do,” Tyler said. “Alvant has been a big addition to the team for sure. He ended with eight rebounds and five offensive boards in the second half. He stepped up big and made some big plays. Weston’s been solid for us. We’ve got the pieces there, but we’ve got to start putting it together consistently.”
Navarro falls to 3-1 on the season. The Panthers will play in the La Grange tournament starting Thursday.
Other Tuesday results:
(Austin) — The Navarro Runnin’ Lady Panthers fell 63-46 at Austin Liberal Arts & Science Academy. Navarro will host the Panther Classic girls basketball tournament beginning Thursday.
(Marion) — The Marion Bulldog boys cruised past Poth, 69-39. Marion will compete in the George West basketball tournament, which begins Thursday.
(Somerset) — The Marion girls dropped a 66-46 decision at Somerset. The Lady Bulldogs will compete in the Karnes City tournament starting Thursday.
(New Braunfels) — The Seguin Lady Matadors were edged 52-50 at New Braunfels Long Creek. The Lady Mats will host Stockdale on Friday.
(New Braunfels) — The Seguin boys fell 65-54 at New Braunfels Canyon. Senior Tavien Miles led Seguin with 13 points. The Mats will host the Matador Classic boys basketball tournament starting Thursday.
(San Antonio) — The Lifegate Falcon boys defeated San Antonio Southwest Prep Northwest 70-50 on the road Tuesday evening.