Heading into the week, the Princeton boys basketball team still had its postseason aspi­rations on the line, and had a crazy opportunity to pick up big wins.

Thanks to cancellations from opponents two weeks ago, the Panthers faced a nearly full week of contests, playing four district games over the span of five games. Playing three contests on the road, including two against teams just ahead of them in the standings, the Pan­thers had the opportunity to push themselves back into the playoff conversation and keep their postseason hopes alive.

Princeton’s week began at home, facing the top seed in the district in the Lovejoy Leop­ards. Facing an opponent that defeated them by 22 points in the previous matchup, the Pan­thers were able to remain com­petitive for most of the game, ultimately losing by 12 points to the Leopards. The biggest hurdle for Princeton came in the first quarter, when they only scored six points to trail by eight early. Outscoring the Leopards in the second quarter, the Panthers kept battling with Lovejoy in the second half, though were unable to fully cut into the deficit.

The following day, the Pan­thers traveled to Sherman to take on the Bearcats in hopes to move one game closer to a play­off spot. Similar to Princeton, Sherman was facing an uphill battle in reaching the playoffs, holding the fifth seed in district with a 5-6 district record.

For the full story, see the Feb. 11 issue or subscribe online.

By Jackson King • [email protected]