Class 5A State Champs: Lancaster wins boys basketball title.

SAN ANTONIO _ Lancaster held a mostly double-digit lead in defeating Beaumont Ozen, 59-47, to win the UIL State Class 5A boys state championship. Before 10,217 at the Alamodome, Lancaster jumped out to a 12-2 lead, trailed for only a minute, and held off a fiesty Ozen in the fourth quarter.

Ranked No. 1 in the state 5A poll, Lancaster won its 28th in a row and every playoff except one by double-digits. Lancaster had 48-31 lead heading into the fourth quarter on a 3-pointer by senior guard Dominique Fobbs. Lancaster senior Elijah Thomas was the MVP with 17 points, nine rebounds and three blocks with Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy on hand to watch one of his prized Class of 2015 signees. Lancaster senior Antwon Portley had a game-high 21 points and played every minute against Ozen’s aggressive defense. Portley and Fobbs had heavy ball-handling duties as junior guard Deon Barrett suffered an early ankle injury.

Lancaster on High School Sports Special with Ted Madden.

Lancaster was playing in its second state final since 2010. Lancaster, known for its dominating girls and boys state track championships, won its first UIL basketball championship with its trademark defensive pressure limiting Ozen to 14-of-58 from the floor. Lancaster (34-4) had its last loss against 6A state finalist Plano West in a nationally broadcast game in December. Lancaster’s key playoff victory came in a hard-fought win over traditional power South Oak Cliff, 81-76, in a regional quarterfinals showdown at Grand Prairie. A traditional power with NBA center Kendrick Perkins as an alum, Ozen was making its fifth state tourney appearance since 2001.