Nussbaum, Scots Roll in Playoff Opener

Highland Park cruised past Marshall in its playoff opener on Tuesday to set up a rematch against Frisco Liberty in the area round. (Photo: Tanner Garza)

Any playoff jitters disappeared quickly for Highland Park on Tuesday, as the Scots cruised to a 62-36 win over Marshall in a Class 5A Region II bi-district game in Wills Point.

HP, which extended its winning streak to 14 games overall, will next meet Frisco Liberty in the area round at 8 p.m. on Friday in Coppell.

Ethan Nussbaum continued a late-season scoring surge with 24 points to lead the Scots (24-9), while Matthew Lodwick added 12 points and Preston Landes contributed nine.

HP was in control of the game throughout against the Mavericks (19-15), who finished in fourth place in District 16-5A during the regular season. The Scots limited Marshall to 24 points in the first three quarters.

Liberty (15-14), which slipped past Prosper 51-49 in its bi-district game on Tuesday, will be a familiar foe for the Scots. HP will have the chance to avenge first-round defeats against the Redhawks in 2011 and 2014.