By MIKE PHILLIPS / Corsicana Sun

Talk about heating up down the stretch: Just look at what Navarro's Bulldogs did Saturday at home in a 79-62 victory over Tyler.

They not only won their third game out of their last four and beat a Tyler team that had defeated them (63-58) earlier, but Grant McMillan's team had one of its best games of the season, shooting 52.7 percent from the floor, including making 9-of-16 shots from beyond the arc for a dazzling 56.3 percentage.

NC exploded for the game's first 18 points and held TJC without a bucket until the 12:23 mark of the half.  The lead ballooned to 30-7 with about six minutes before halftime.

Justin Thomas did most of the damage in the second half, with 23 points. He burned down the nets all afternoon. When Thomas was done he had filled it up to the tune of 28 points after putting on a show on the Lewis Orr Court, where he made 8-of-9 shots from the floor, and was perfect on 3-pointers, going 4-for-4. During an extended sequence, he drained three consecutive baskets for eight points.

Thomas also pulled down six rebounds and made three steals to ignite the Bulldogs, who were on fire in the first half when they ran out to a 37-21 halftime lead.

Of course, the 6-foot-6 Thomas has been on fire for the last four games, averaging 20.3 points.  In his last two games, Thomas hit 16-of-25 shots from the floor, 6-of-11 from the arc, and 14-of-15 free throws, while averaging 26 points. 

In his first start of the season, freshman Tre'Von Love hit 3-of-4 shots from beyond the arc and finished with 13 points to go along with four assists and three steals.  Babacar Diallo scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Dawgs.

Navarro is now 14-11 overall and 8-7 in conference play. Seven teams currently standing fourth through tenth overall for post-season seeding are separated by two games with four remaining before the Region XIV Tournament at Jacksonville. The Bulldogs have two at home and two away.  First, they're at Panola Wednesday and return home Saturday for a 4 p.m. game against Bossier Parish.

They close out the regular season schedule next week with a road game at Paris on Feb. 23 and a Saturday afternoon finale at home against rival Trinity Valley on Feb. 26.