09:36 PM CST on Sunday, January 29, 2006

Kate Hairopoulos - Dallas Morning News

PLANO – The only thing clear about District 8-5A is that everybody beats everybody.

Plano had won seven straight league games and built a two-game cushion – until Friday. Flower Mound Marcus brought Plano (7-2) closer to the pack with a 59-58 victory.

Now, Plano West (6-3) is alone in second. Lewisville, Marcus and Plano East are knotted at 5-4. Flower Mound (4-5), The Colony (3-6) and Allen (1-8) close out the logjam.

Despite Friday's loss, Plano is still the best bet to win 8-5A and make a deep postseason run.

Coach Tom Inman's "three-headed monster" is intact once again, since 6-7 senior wing Joe Fulce, a Texas A&M signee, returned to the court last week after missing more than a month because of knee surgery. He rejoins 5-11 junior guard John Roberson (17.4, 7 assists) and 6-8 senior post Eric Zastoupil (14.6 ppg) to create a three-pronged threat.

Fulce (14.6ppg, 8.6 rpg) is on his way to being better than ever.

When Fulce went in for knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus, doctors found that he was missing cartilage in the lateral part of his knee. Doctors drilled holes in the bone so that cartilage would grow. Fulce worried that he wouldn't be able to return.

But he did. Fulce had 14 points and 13 rebounds Tuesday against Plano West and scored 15 Friday.

That's encouraging for Plano, which needs him to help navigate the rest of entertainingly messy 8-5A play.