No. 12 Roadrunners Fall to No. 9 Panola in Tournament Semis

By: Gary Stallard

Date:

March 17, 2025

AC Facing Possible At-Large Bid to Nationals

BAYTOWN, TX – A sluggish offensive start combined with a strong defensive opponent left the No. 12 Angelina College Roadrunners on the short end of a 58-48 loss to No. 9 Panola College in Friday’s Region XIV Tournament semifinal action in Baytown.

AC’s slow start included just two points over the game’s first nine minutes, with the team’s first field goal not finding the net until nearly 10 minutes had elapsed.

However, because of the team’s strong year-long performance – AC finished as the No. 1 defensive team in the nation and finished the year with an 18-5 record – the ‘Runners may not be finished with their 2024-2025 season just yet.

Angelina College’s Kanaan Holder (20) draws contact on a drive during Friday’s game against Panola College. The No. 12 Roadrunners fell to the No. 9 Ponies 58-48 in Region XIV Tournament semifinal action in Baytown, but AC still has a shot at an at-large bid to the national tournament. (Gary Stallard photo for AC Athletics)

Angelina College’s Ja’Vonte Thomas (0) lifts a shot over a Panola College defender during Friday’s game. The No. 12 Roadrunners fell to the No. 9 Ponies 58-48 in Region XIV Tournament semifinal action in Baytown, but AC still has a shot at an at-large bid to the national tournament. (Gary Stallard photo for AC Athletics)

Christian Jones (24) of Angelina College uses a screen from teammate Daemon Ely (23) to drive through the Panola College defense during Friday’s game. The No. 12 Roadrunners fell to the No. 9 Ponies 58-48 in Region XIV Tournament semifinal action in Baytown, but AC still has a shot at an at-large bid to the national tournament. (Gary Stallard photo for AC Athletics)

On Sunday, the NJCAA will hold its “Selection Show,” at which time the organization will release the participants for the upcoming NJCAA Division I National Tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas. By virtue of their stellar season, the Roadrunners are considered one of the front-runners for an at-large bid.

Angelina College will release the selection results immediately following Sunday’s Selection Show program.

The email address for AC’s Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.

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Sports Information Director Gary Stallard, who also serves as a Liberal Arts Instructor, begins his eleventh season with Angelina College. Following a career as a U.S. Marine, Stallard completed his bachelor’s degree at Stephen F. Austin University, where he majored in English and Journalism. For more than 16 years, he has worked as a sports writer/columnist/photographer for the Lufkin Daily News; he continues to contribute free-lance articles on occasion. Stallard has won several awards for writing, including the Golden Hoops Award for basketball writing in 2003, Regional Sports Writer of the Year in 2004, and the Texas Press Association’s first-place award for column writing in 2007 and in 2014. He has also done basketball, football and baseball radio and live streaming play-by- play and color commentary for an ESPN affiliate. Currently Stallard serves as play-by-play broadcaster for AC basketball, baseball and softball games. Prior to arriving at Angelina College, Stallard taught English at Lufkin High School for four years. He currently teaches Developmental Writing classes at AC. He and his wife Susan live in Lufkin.

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