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The regular season did not end the way the Lanett boys basketball team wanted as they entered postseason play.

The Panthers have dropped their last three games against Handley, Harris County and Valley, all of which they dominated earlier in the season. Lanett won the first matchup against those teams by102 total points. 

“As I said to the guys on Friday night, the first year we won the state championship in 16, the last two games of the season we went to Russell County and lost a close one, and we went to Valley and lost a close one,” head coach Richard Carter said. “The kids came back, rededicated themselves, and we won a state championship that year. That’s where we are. We need to get that type of mentality right now.”

The Panthers’ quest for a second state championship in the 2019-20 school year starts on Tuesday when they host Wadley in the first round of the 1A area 6 tournament. 

In the first two matchups, the Panthers have struggled to play a complete game against the Bulldogs. In both games this year, the Panthers have started slowly before getting into a rhythm in the second half. 

“When we’ve played the larger schools, they put all they have into it,” Carter said. “The only thing that bothers me is that we play down to our opponent. I want them to understand we don’t play down. We want to make them come to where we are.”

Lanett will play at 7:30 p.m. EST, which is the second game of the day.