It was a festive atmosphere in Willie Williams Gym Tuesday night as the Mount Pleasant Tigers wrapped up their regular season in style with a 73-54 victory over the second place Tyler Lions. Prior to their final home game of the season, the Tigers and head coach Joey Chism honored eight seniors including student assistants Evan Shelley and Taniah Johnson as well as players Xavier Hills, De’Keivous Heath, Kelcey Morris, Payton Chism, Luke Hampton, and Kyler Smith. The Tigers sent the seniors out in style controlling the game from the tip and vaulting the team into the playoffs.

Kelcey Morris got the scoring started with a pull-up jumper from the left wing and a foul but couldn’t complete the three-point play. On the ensuing rebound, Tyler sprinted the floor for any easy deuce to tie the score at 2-2. A Reggie Webster pump fake sent two Lion defenders flying as Webster put the ball in the hoop to give the Tigers back the lead at 4-2. Tyler would continue to match Mount Pleasant stride for stride, even staking a 7-6 lead midway through the physical first quarter. But the Tigers would use a 13-7 run to close out the frame up 19-14.

Mount Pleasant would have their best quarter of the game in the second clamping down on defense and holding Tyler to just 9 points. The Tigers were relentless in their attack on the basket getting to the free throw line it seemed almost every trip down the floor. Frustration boiled over the frame for Tyler as they were assessed a technical foul fueling the Tigers 9-3 run to open the quarter leading to an eventual 37-23 lead for the home team at the break.

The Lions would not go away coming out strong in the third quarter and cutting the Tiger lead all the way to three midway through the period at 41-38. The refs kept the game in check as both teams began to get in foul trouble and depth would be tested late. A 15-4 run by Tyler would finally be ended as Mount Pleasant would answer with a 12-4 run of their own to close out the quarter. The final frame was all Tigers as they increased their lead to as many as 20 and went into game control mode. All Tyler could do was trap or foul but the gap was too much to overcome.

Payton Chism led all scorers with 18 points ( 3-10 FG, 12-17 FT) with 2 assists and 1 steal. Kelcey Morris was close behind with 17 points (6-10 FG, 1-2 3Pt, 4-5 FT) with 3 assists and 4 steals. Reggie Webster joined them in double figures with 12 points (4-9 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 2-5 FT) and Kai Price added 9 points (3-4 FG, 3-5 FT). Other scorers were Carter Chism 6 points, Jordyn Hurndon and Kyler Smith 4 points each, and Antez Jeffery 3 points.

Mount Pleasant finishes the regular season with a perfect 33-0 record, tying the previous record setting season win total of the 2019-2020 team that went 33-4. The Tigers will play their Bi-District playoff game next Tuesday, February 21 at Palestine High School versus Porter, the fourth-place finisher in District 16-5A. Game time is set for 7:00 PM and tickets will be sold at the door.