They’ll be traveling in opposite directions along I-20, but the John Tyler boys and girls basketball teams hope to move closer toward the same goal.

The 15th-ranked Lady Lions head west to face Mansfield Lake Ridge at 5 p.m. Wednesday from Wills Point High School in the Class 5A Region II quarterfinals. The Lions head east on Wednedsay to take on No. 22 Marshall at 7 p.m. from LeTourneau University in Longview in the Class 5A bi-district playoffs.

The JT boys game was moved from today to Wednesday.

Both JT squads needed wins on Friday to keep their seasons alive and both now face familiar foes. The Lady Lions faced Lake Ridge in their final game last year while the Lions squared off against Marshall in their first game last season.

The Lady Lions (31-4) defeated Red Oak 69-47 behind a well-rounded scoring effort on Friday in Forney. Sophomore Alyssa Mayfield led JT with 15 points, one of five Lady Lions to score at least 10.

Once again JT’s pressure defense sparked the offense by creating 34 turnovers off 20 steals. The Lady Lions have created 73 turnovers with 51 steals in two playoff games won by an average margin of 34 points.

“I think sometimes we scare ourselves when we get that far ahead,” Mayfield said after her team suffered a third-quarter lull before putting Red Oak away. “We just take our time and learn. Every game is a learning block.”

Now JT faces the team that rallied from down 16 points in the first half to upset the Lady Lions in the bi-district playoffs last year.

It was with that loss in mind that the Lady Lions continued pushing the pace against Sulphur Springs in bi-district (81-35 win) and Red Oak, all too aware of what can happen if they take their foot off the gas.

The Lions also had to keep their foot on the gas in Friday’s 73-64 win over Nacogdoches. The win, which clinched the fourth and final playoff spot out of District 16-5A, came despite De’Quan Batiste hitting nine 3-pointers to score 33 points.

Now JT faces a one-loss Marshall (31-1) squad. The Mavericks’ lone setback came to Dallas Christian, which finished second to All Saints in TAPPS 2-4A.

These teams last met in the 2013-14 season opener, an instant classic that Marshall won 104-101.

The Mavericks have already set a school record for wins after sweeping through District 15-5A with a 14-0 record.

Last year in the bi-district round John Tyler lost 53-38 to Lake Ridge.

The winner of the JT-Marshall match faces either Mansfield Summit or Seagoville in the area round, with Corsicana, Mount Pleasant, Dallas Kimball or Lake Ridge awaiting in the regional quarterfinals.

The girls winner will face either No. 7 Dallas Adams or West Mesquite in the regional semifinals, to be played at Garland’s Curtis Culwell Center at 6 p.m. Friday. The regional final is 1 p.m. Saturday.