San Angelo Lake View Boys Win First Playoff Game in 26 Years

ABILENE, TX — The San Angelo Lake View boys basketball team won its first playoff game since 1999 on Tuesday with a 77-65 victory over Stephenville.

The Chiefs led 12-10 after the first quarter before taking over with a 26-point second quarter for a 38-27 halftime lead.

Stephenville pulled within 59-49 at the end of the third quarter before the Chiefs put the game away down the stretch.

Joseph Delgado led Lake View with 19 points, while Braylon White had 16, Jaiden Salas had 15 and Marcus Finch had 10.

Lake View head coach Courtney Bliskey said he had 63 texts waiting for him by the time he reached the locker room.

Bliskey said his team had been motivated to reach the playoffs after narrowly missing out last year.

"They put in the work and time and effort to get that goal accomplished. And then once we earned our spot, the mantra changed to, 'Now we've got to win a gold ball,'" Bliskey said.

After the players initially weren't taking film study for Stephenville seriously enough, Bliskey said the coaching staff refocused the team, and they responded with "probably the best five practices I've been a part of since I've been here," Bliskey said.

Lake View improved to 15-16 and will move on to the area round of the Class 4A Division I playoffs against No. 18-ranked Decatur (27-8) at 6 p.m. Friday at Abilene High.

Decatur reached the regional semifinals last year and knocked out state power Lubbock Estacado, the champion of Lake View's district, along the way.

"It's going to be a tough game for us, but as long as we minimize the turnovers, we score and we play the defense we can play, we'll have a chance," Bliskey said.

Stephenville's season ended with a record of 23-10.