Selma and Keith weren’t playing in the game they wanted to be in Saturday at the Dallas County Classic Tournament, but they did find themselves facing a familiar foe.

In the third meeting of the year between the Bears and Saints, Selma came out on top 77-69 in the tournament’s third place game. Keith had won the rival’s first two meetings of the year.

“To have a tense game like we played last night and then come back and gut it out against a team that had defeated us twice, it’s a real big win,” Selma head coach Woodie Jackson said. “Hopefully it’s a win that can get us over the top.”

The Saints were led by Kahmaul Jones, who scored 23 points and added 15 rebounds.

Keyshawn Ford added 20 points, including three first half three-pointers that helped the Saints stay within striking distance at halftime.

Keith actually led at halftime 38-37, but Selma grabbed the lead midway through the third quarter on a layup by Michael Griffin with 5:31 left and never relinquished it the rest of the way.

Despite the loss, Keith head coach Tommy Tisdale was much happier with his team’s performance than he was following Friday night’s defeat to Wilcox Central.

“The things I saw tonight I can fix,” Tisdale said. “The things I saw last night, I couldn’t fix. It took them talking to each other and for them to come to terms with each other.”

Tisdale said some of his players stepped up after Friday night’s game.

“Demond Holmes came in as a senior with some of the best leadership ever today,” Tisdale said.

“I think even he recognized there was a problem the outsiders couldn’t see.”