WEBB — The West Tallahatchie Choctaws boys basketball team lost a second-round playoff game to the East Marion Eagles, 54-46, in Columbia Saturday night.
It was the earliest postseason exit for a Choctaws squad since 2018-19, when they fell in the first round.
In 2019-20, West Tally’s boys made it to the semifinals. After the 2020-21 season was canceled due to COVID, the Chocs advanced to the quarterfinals in back-to-back campaigns, 2021-22 and 2022-23, before falling in narrow losses.
West Tally finished the 2023-24 season with an overall record of 17-10 and was runner-up in Region 5-1A.
After trailing 14-9 following the first quarter, the Choctaws closed the gap to 25-21 at halftime on Saturday, but East Marion pushed their lead to 43-38 after three and outscored West Tally 11-8 in the final stanza.
Cavorgie Robinson led all Choctaws scorers with 18 points. Drexel Miller had 12, Jamarria Bailey 9 and Jayden Sample 6. Roosevelt Phillips picked hit one free throw to account for the other point.
East Marion, 18-6, will face 24-6 McAdams in a Thursday quarterfinals showdown of region champions.
It was McAdams who squeaked by the Choctaws with razor-thin margins during the semifinals over the past two seasons.
