John Tyler's Ashtyn Beal tries to dribble past Lufkin defenders during their District 16-5A opener on Tuesday at the Lions Den. (Haylee Bazil | Tyler Morning Telegraph)

The John Tyler Lady Lions opened their district title defense with a win over a team that may be their biggest challenger.

Amia Wickware hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:52 left and JT held Lufkin scoreless over the final three minutes to secure an intense 47-45 victory in the Lady Lions’ District 16-5A opener on Tuesday at the Lions Den.

The Lady Panthers (12-4, 1-1), who opened league play last week with a win over Lindale, led 45-41 with 3:00 left after a bucket by Natasha Mack, a 6-3 junior who finished with game highs of 22 points, 17 rebounds and seven blocks.

The Lady Lions (15-3, 1-0) responded with the final six points of the game. Alyssa Mayfield drove under the basket to lay in for two before Wickware’s 3-pointer. Tameal Jones gave JT a cushion with a steal and a free throw with 1:18 left and neither team scored in the final 80 seconds.

“That was great,” JT coach Mike Smith said of Wickware’s trey. “From playing behind to playing ahead is a huge difference. It gave us the confidence that we could pull that thing out.”

John Tyler led for most of the game after jumping ahead 11-2 in the first quarter. Wickware paced the Lady Lions with 17 points, six rebounds and two steals. Jones added five steals while Mayfield finished with eight points.

Lufkin battled back in the fourth with an 8-1 run in which Mack scored six points, though the Lady Panthers failed to score the rest of the game.

“Both teams wanted to win real bad and they both thought they could win,” Smith said. “I’m really proud of the kids and the character they showed coming back and coming through with the big win.”

After the Lady Lions pulled out the win in the Lions Den, the action shifted to the junior varsity gym where the Lions played their first varsity game on that floor in more than 20 years.

Donning old uniforms and headbands, the JT boys used a big third quarter to race past Mount Pleasant 69-52.

Patrick Williams scored 11 of his team-high 19 points in a third quarter in which the Lions (11-3) outscored the Tigers 22-10, taking a 21 point lead at one point.

“The atmosphere was outstanding,” JT coach Cedeno Clark said. “Putting the kids in the old uniforms, they really got pumped up about that and I allowed them to wear their headbands.

“It was a great atmosphere for basketball tonight and I really liked it being played in the junior varsity gym.”

Williams added 10 rebounds as he and Jacob Owens-Bush (13 points, 10 boards) both had double-doubles. Carlin Gray came off the bench to spark the Lions with 10 points.

James Moore led all scorers with 22 for Mount Pleasant (4-7).

The Lions were coming off a second-place finish in the Greenville Tournament on Saturday. JT beat McKinney North in overtime in the semifinals before falling to Belton 66-59 in the championship game.

The John Tyler boys and girls teams head to Nacogdoches for a doubleheader on Friday. It will be the 16-5A opener for the Lions.

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District 16-5A Girls

No. 14 John Tyler 47, Lufkin 45

Lufkin 7 13 11 14 — 45

John Tyler 13 12 11 11 — 47

LUFKIN — Jayla Wyatt, 2; Jakala Suell, 0; Hanna Boykins, 2; Ivie Massie, 3; Shay Brooks, 1; Natasha Mack, 22; Dominique Doggett, 4; Vanna Brantley, 0; Brittany Taylor, 7; Jaylyn Mask, 0; Keke Jones, 2. FT: 8-16.

JOHN TYLER — Amia Wickware, 17; Kaleon Grant, 2; Alyssa Mayfield, 8; Destini Whitehead, 5; Kaleigh Hackett, 3; Tameal Jones, 7; Ashtyn Beal, 5; Shakendra Tilley, 0; Daz Johnson, 0; Shakala Johnson, 0. FT: 16-21.

THREE POINT GOALS — L: Massie. JT: Wickware (3), Whitehead, Jones.

RECORDS — Lufkin 12-4 (1-1); John Tyler 15-3 (1-0).

NEXT UP — Lufkin in Livingston Tournament, John Tyler at Nacogdoches, 6 p.m. Friday.

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Non-District Boys

John Tyler 69, Mount Pleasant 52

Mt. Pleasant 12 17 10 13 — 52

John Tyler 19 16 22 12 — 69

MOUNT PLEASANT — Dexter Roberson, 0; Holden Davis, 0; Jesse Morales, 3; Mark Quiring, 0; Michael Fomby, 0; Buddy Thomas, 12; Keenan Brown, 9; Colby Milburn, 4; Jeremy Johnson, 1; Jaquille Rodgers, 1; Jace Beasley, 0; James Moore, 22. FG: 16-49. FT: 16-22.

JOHN TYLER — Martese Christian, 4; Tavian Teal, 4; Patrick Williams, 19; Carlin Gray, 10; Jacob Owens-Bush, 13; Gaguay Miller, 0; Ja’Khari Lewis, 8; J’Michael Jasper, 11. FG: 23-59. FT: 21-28.

THREE POINT GOALS — MP (:4-11) Morales, Brown, Moore (2). JT (2-18): Lewis (2).

RECORDS — John Tyler 11-3; Mount Pleasant 4-7.

NEXT UP — John Tyler at Nacogdoches, 7:30 p.m. Friday.