photo by Sarah A. Miller/Tyler Morning Telegraph Lancaster's (2) Demarcus Hurd follows Lindale High School's (23) Jordan Gray in the second quarter during their area playoff game against Lancaster held Saturday at Forney High School.

FORNEY — Lindale started the 2014-15 season picked to finish near the bottom of District 16-5A.

They finished the year forcing the top-ranked team in Class 5A into stall tactics.

The undersized, underdog Eagles withstood and early blitz from No. 1 Lancaster and made the Tigers fight for every inch before they pulled out a 69-49 victory on Saturday in the Class 5A area playoffs at Jackrabbit Gymnasium.

After going down by 19 in the first quarter, Lindale (19-10) fought back, pulling within eight in the second quarter. With Lancaster up 13 entering the fourth, Tigers coach Ferrin Douglas called for his team to hold onto the ball until Lindale left its zone defense.

“That’s a testament to how hard these guys played the entire game,” Eagles coach Scott Albritton said. “They could’ve come into this game knowing they’re playing the No. 1 team in the state, especially after we got down so much in the first quarter and could’ve just laid down from there, but this team fought their tails off the entire game and really fought back and that just shows you how hard these guys worked this year and how hard they played.”

Texas A&M signee Elijah Thomas, a 6-9 powerhouse inside, had 27 points, nine rebounds and two blocks to guide Lancaster (29-4) into the regional quarterfinals, where the Tigers will meet No. 7 Dallas South Oak Cliff.

Thomas had nine points as the Tigers jumped to a 27-9 lead after one quarter. Though Thomas made 12 of 17 shots, Lindale’s zone frustrated the Lancaster offense after the first quarter, with the Tigers launching a third of their shots from long range instead of utilizing their considerable size advantage inside.

Junior point guard Jordan Gray led the Eagles with 18 points while fellow junior Laettner Greenhill added 12, including Lindale’s first eight.

Despite being the focus of the entire Tigers defense facing constant double teams wherever he went on the court, Gray settled into the game, scoring seven in the second quarter and 11 in the third.

“They were trying to take him totally away from the game, not letting the ball get in his hands and he was still able to get the ball and knock down shots,” Albritton said. “That shows you how much respect that other coaches even from the Metroplex have for Jordan.”

Gray had a team-high three assists, including a crowd-pleasing dime in which he dished to Greenhill for a three-point play as part of a 19-7 surge in the second quarter. As the Lindale faithful began to grow in voice, so too did the Eagles grow in confidence.

By halftime Lindale was under the skin of Douglas, who was heard remarking toward Lindale players as they walked to the locker room that the referees let them back into the game. That comment set off Albritton, who turned red with anger before being held back by assistants and eventually taken to the locker room.

“He said something to Jordan and some of our players,” Albritton said of the incident. “My guys fighting for me out there, by God I was going to fight for them. Nobody can talk to my guys, so I was going to fight for them.”

Lindale won the second quarter 19-13 and traded baskets with Lancaster in the third before the Tigers began to stall.

Albritton and the Eagles didn’t back down from the challenge, extending their pressure shortly after it became evident the Tigers were intent on running down the clock. However Lancaster then opened the quarter on an 11-1 spree that put the game away.

Lindale, after finishing third in 16-5A, will bring back three starters and plenty of experience from going toe-to-toe with the top-ranked team in the state.

“This team really overachieved this year,” Albritton said. “We were scrappy all year, fighting, we played so hard. Our guys played so hard. I’m just so proud of the guys.

“There’s nothing I can say in words to tell you how proud I am of these guys.”

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Class 5A Area Playoff

Jackrabbit Gymnasium, Forney

No. 1 Lancaster 69, Lindale 49

Lancaster 27 13 15 14 —69

Lindale 9 19 14 7 —49

LANCASTER — Darius Anderson, 0; Dominique Fobbs, 10; Damarcus Hurd, 3; Deon Barret, 10; Ike Durham, 0; Josh Johnson, 1; JaKolby Pemberton, 8; Jacorion Lee, 0; Antwon Portley, 0; Elijah Thomas, 27; Brandon Moore, 0; Nate Morris, 1; Robert Pride, 2; Jordan Castillo, 0. FG: 24-60. FT: 15-31.

LINDALE — Laettner Greenhill, 12; Dee Jackson, 2; Garrett Sir Louis, 0; Andrez Lee-Alvarez, 0; Dietrich Fry, 2; Christian Fulp, 0; Jordan Gray, 18; Kolton Pierce, 8; Scotty Butler, 0; Tryceton Griffin, 4; Kale Ridge, 2; Justin Fisher, 0; Terrell Cooper, 1; Cody Lewis, 0; Davion Dingle, 0. FG: 15-40. FT: 12-17.

THREE POINT GOALS — LA (4-19): Fobbs (2), Hurd, Barret; LI (7-20): Greenhill (2), Gray (3), Pierce (2). REBOUNDS — LA 38 (Thomas 9, Morris 9); LI 30 (Greenhill 6, Gray 6). STEALS — LA 11 (Fobbs 4); LI 1 (Greenhill 1). ASSISTS — LA 8 (Pemberton 3); LI 7 (Gray 3). BLOCKS — LA 2 (Thomas 2); LI 2 (Jackson 1, Ridge 1). TURNOVERS — LA 5; LI 18. FOULS — LA 19; LI 19.

RECORDS — Lancaster 29-4; Lindale 19-10.

NEXT UP — Lancaster vs. Dallas South Oak Cliff, TBD.