Plano East sophomore Donovan Wood releases a left-handed jump shot during the Panthers’ Class 6A Division I bi-district playoff game against Flower Mound Marcus on Monday night from The Colony High School. Photo by Victor Tapia / C&S Media

By David Wolman

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One year after winning the Class 6A state championship, Plano East saw a late rally fall short in an opening-round 64-58 loss to Marcus in a Class 6A Division I bi-district playoff game at The Colony High School on Monday.

Marcus led 18-9 at the end of the first quarter, 37-25 at halftime and 46-36 at the end of the third quarter. 

But Plano East didn’t go down without a fight.

The Panthers (25-6) cut the lead to 50-47 after a DJ Hall jumper with 3:30 left in the fourth quarter. The Plano East senior had 25 points, despite foul trouble earlier in the ballgame.

Junior Moustafa Abualneel reduced Plano East’s deficit to 55-53 after he made two free throws. But on a night when the Panthers struggled to contain the Marauders’ one-two punch of senior Jayden Ramnanan (25 points) and junior Luke Susko (18), Marcus finished the game on a 9-5 run.