TYLER - Sometimes playing in a tournament you run into a district foe that can be a’head-game’ for the coaches wtih two district encounters not too far away.

Bullard came up with a three-point bulge in the second and third quarters for the difference maker in a 72-66 win over district rival, Tatum in the second round of the Wagstaff Classic on Tuesday

The first quarter was bucket-for-bucket, as was the final period in the Panthers win to setup a cross-town rivalry first as Bullard and Brook Hill matchup in the championship game.

Panther point guard, Lance Anding heated up in the middle periods for his game high 21 points.

Post man, Brandon Beavers had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Daniel Howard added 12 points, and Josiah Rosebury chipped in 11 points.

The defending Class 3A state champion freethrow shooter, Anding nailed two 3-pointers in the two period spurt, and added a 6-for-6 from the charity stripe.

“We really didn’t play that well and still won,” said BHS head coach, Robert sampson. “At one point we had them down by 11 points and could have put the game away but we kept turning the ball over and just stopped doing what we had been doing that was working.

“I don’t realy mind playing somebody from the district because my theory is to do what we do, and if we do it well...you can’t stop it.”

Din the final quarter, the Panthers regained a tenpoint lead but a technical foul on Bullard, and a few more turnovers, and it was closer than Sampson knew it should be.

“I’m always pleased with a win, and but our intensity seemed to be upand down in the game too,” Sampson added., “but it was nice to get that one behind us a a chance to play inthe championship game.

“It’s like I have said before, when we do what we do, and do it well, we are a really good ball team.”