BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @gosset41
X – @gmsportsmedia1
Just hours before tip off between Mansfield Lake Ridge and Flower Mound Marcus’ boys basketball regional semifinal playoff game on Tuesday night, the Lake Ridge Eagles were forced to forfeit for using an ineligible player in the area round – confirmed Mansfield ISD (DCTF’s Matt Stepp first reported).
Lake Ridge (34-2) and Marcus (27-8) were set to clash Tuesday night at the Arlington ISD Athletic Center in the Class 6A Division 1 bracket.
The Eagles entered the postseason ranked #3 in the state while the Marauders were #15. Marcus will now advance to the Region 1 Final later this week and face the winner of North Crowley and Allen. Those two will play Tuesday night at Coppell.
Marcus is coming off a 64-58 win over Plano East and 69-47 win over Arlington Martin through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Lake Ridge defeated LD Bell and then El Paso Eastlake, which is where the Eagles used an ineligible player.
Lake Ridge only lost two games all season and won an undefeated district championship in 3-6A – the program’s first district title. The Eagles owned a 14 game winning streak and suffered their last loss against Allen on Dec. 28 during tournament play. They also lost earlier that month to 2024 5A state champion Lancaster.
The Marauders are enjoying their most wins since winning 30+ three years straight from 2010-2012 – the same three years they went to the state tournament.
The team is only two years removed from going 11-20 overall. They bounced back last season with 24 wins and made the playoffs, but lost to McKinney in the bi-district round. Marcus went 11-3 in District 5-6A.
A win in the regional final, which most likely will be Friday night, will send Marcus to the state semis for the first time since 2012. The team won state championships in 2011 and 2012 under Danny Henderson.
FOR UIL BOYS AND GIRLS BASKETBALL SCHEDULES: https://gmsportsmedia.com/2025/02/updated-uil-dallas-fort-worth-area-high-school-boys-girls-basketball-playoff-schedules-2/
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