With their playoff hopes on the line, the Bastrop Bears watched them fade off in another close call.
The fourth-place Akins Eagles defeated Bastrop 54-51 Friday night to increase their lead on the fifth-place Bears to three games with three remain.
For Bastrop to sneak into that fourth playoff spot from District 25-5A, the Bears must defeat second place Pflugerville, third place Bowie and Connally and hope Akins loses all three of its remaining games.
Bastrop (17-13, 4-7 District 25-5A) didn’t go down without a fight.
The bears quickly erased an eight-point halftime deficit with a 6-0 run to open the second half, which included four points from John Thorne.
Josiah Monroe scored 10 of his team-high 22 points in the third quarter as the Bears and Eagles exchanged the lead 10 times.
Every time Bastrop would get a lead, however, Akins would answer with a three-point field goal.
Monroe hit a three-pointer with 18 seconds left in the third quarter to give Bastrop a one-point lead, but Anthony Rivera answered at the buzzer to return the Eagles to a two-point advantage going into the fourth quarter.
Akins opened the final period and extended its lead to six points in the early minutes, but Monroe quickly answered with a three of his own. Bastrop was never able to get over the hill, but Chris Harrell tied the game with a three-pointer, his only points of the game, with 1:53 left to play.
Akins scored three quick points and the Bears missed three three-points in the final eight seconds, including a half court prayer at the buzzer that ricocheted off the rim.
Jordan Roach played most of the final three minutes in the fourh quarter with four fouls, but scored 11 points as did Petey Thompson.
Thompson also added four rebounds, but John Thorne pulled down a team-high six for the bears.
Akins was led by Kevin McFarlane, who soceed a game-high 25 points to go with five rebounds.