The Southeast Lauderdale boys basketball team advanced to the championship round of the Region 5-3A tournament with a 69-53 win against host Clarkdale Thursday.

JT Landrum scored 20 points for the Tigers, who led 38-25 at the half. Demondre Graham had 13 points for Southeast Lauderdale, and Eli Walker finished with eight points.

Clarkdale trailed 53-32 at the end of the third quarter but managed to cut the lead to 10 points in the final period before the Tigers pulled away late. Southeast Lauderdale boys basketball coach Centel Truman said he was impressed with Clarkdale’s effort and thinks the Bulldogs have a chance to make some noise in the playoffs due to that effort.

“Hats off to Coach (Drew) Watson and Clarkdale,” Truman said. “He does a phenomenal job with his program. He got those guys to play hard, and they gave us a dogfight and gave us everything we needed. That’s why they’re the No. 3 seed, and I’m looking forward to them doing special things when they get out of the division.”

For the Bulldogs, Zachary Rutledge sank three 3s and scored 16 points, while LaDonya Adams had 10 points. Parr Kasper hit four 3s and tallied 14 points, and Cade Hopkins finished with nine points. 

Southeast Lauderdale will Morton in Friday’s championship round, and Truman said his players would have to recover quickly from Thursday’s hard-fought win in order to come away with the divisional championship.

“If you can’t get up for a championship game, something’s wrong with you,” Truman said with a chuckle. “Our guys need to learn how to win, and as the great Bobby Knight said, you take a win no matter how you can get it.”

UNION GIRLS 49, ENTERPRISE 35

Twins Kamyia and Keirra Russell led the way for Union as it edged Enterprise in the semifinal round of the Region 5-3A tournament Thursday.

Kamyia Russell had a game-high 20 points for the Lady Yellowjackets, while Keirra Russell finished with 14 points. Georgia Cooper sank two 3s for six points.

For Enterprise, Trinity Burns had a team-high 14 points, while Emma Hill had seven points and Sidney Taylor chipped in with six points.