Fillies can't finish off San Jacinto, 66-65 - March 2, 2012
By John Krueger, Sports Correspondent

Panola still qualifies for postseason tourney

Panola College Atoe Jackson (with ball) goes up for a reverse layup against San Jacinto Wednesday night in Arthur Johnson Gymnasium. Jackson scored 10 points as the Fillies dropped their home finale, 66-65. (Photo by John Krueger)

Looking for her team to finish the regular season schedule strong after securing the eighth seed in the upcoming Region XIV postseason tournament, Panola College women's basketball coach Tracey Stellato was disappointed, to say the least, when her Fillies dropped Wednesday night's home finale against last-place San Jacinto College, 66-65, here in Arthur Johnson Gymnasium.

Panola College sophomore Oditte Odisho (with ball) draws contact from San Jacinto's Paris Carter during Wednesday night's regular season home finale against the Lady Gators. Odisho scored 20 points in the game. (Photo by John Krueger)

Despite the contest not having any bearing on her team's seeding in next week's conference tournament, Stellato was hoping that they would show more character and finish the contest strong, instead of faltering down the stretch in the setback.

Now the Fillies (9-14, 4-12 conf.) will take on No.1-ranked, regular season champion and top-seeded Trinity Valley Community College (27-0, 16-0) in Athens on Saturday at 2 p.m. and then turn around and play the same Lady Cardinal squad next Thursday (March 8) at 1 p.m. in the Region XIV Quarterfinal round of the league tournament in Tyler Junior College's Wagstaff Gymnasium.

"We're not done yet," said Stellato about her team and Saturday's regular season finale. "We've spent a lot of time talking to our kids this year about character and reputation. Character is what you do when nobody's watching. But character is also what you do when something supposedly doesn't matter - like our game tonight with a contest that won't move you up or down in the conference tournament seedings.

"We're going into the tournament as the eighth seed. But I told the team, 'You and I both know we're supposed to win [the game against San Jacinto]. And character means you go out and play the game and do the things necessary to win it.'

"I think it's ironic that we played the last-place team today and we play the first-place team on Saturday. The standard doesn't change because of the team you're playing. The standard of how you do things never should change, no matter who you're playing - regardless if it's a last-place team or a first-place team. And when you get to that place you'll win as many [games] as you want to.

"I told the players as bad as it is to lose this game, the only way tonight's game will really hurt them is if they bring it to practice on Thursday, and worse, take it to 'the valley' on Saturday."

San Jacinto (9-17) picked up its first conference win of the season with the win over Panola, improving to 1-15.

Panola College freshman post player Dannisha Jackson (32) battles San Jacinto's Shaleatha Carrier (10) for a rebound during second half action of Wednesday night's game in Arthur Johnson Gymnasium. (Photo by John Krueger)

The difference in the ballgame came in the final minutes when Stellato said her team didn't hit the "good looks" at the basket they received.

"In the end you've got to hit your shots," the Panola coach explained. "We came in at halftime down five (32-27), which should have been three. (San Jacinto) really shot the ball well in the first half, which is okay.

"But at the end of the day we had 'looks' all over the place, even in the last 1:37 of the game. We also got to the free throw line, because we finally got the call we'd been asking for the whole game. That's when you've got to make the shots."

Trailing 64-60, Panola College sophomore Oditte Odisho hit a running hook with 2:06 on the clock to pull the Fillies to within two. Then the Lady Gators committed their third turnover in 1:45, before Panola freshman Atoe Jackson scored on a layup with 1:15 on the clock to tie the score at 64-64.

Both teams turned the ball over before San Jac's Paris Carter hit two free throws with 47.4 seconds on the clock.

Panola's Chastity Taylor had a chance to tie the game when she was fouled, but missed the first of her two shots, leaving the Fillies down 66-65 with 38.4 seconds left.

Then it appeared that San Jacinto's Jessica Hines turned the ball over, but the ball was called out of bounds off Panola's Elizabeth Handy. But the call didn't hurt the Fillies because the Lady Gators turned the ball over with 13.2 left.

With a chance to pull out the win, Taylor had an open look in the paint for a 12-footer with two seconds remaining, but the ball went off the rim.

Odisho, playing in her final home game, led the Fillies in scoring with 20 points. Jackson added 10 points and Taylor, another sophomore, and Lanese Bough each knocked down eight points.

Hurst led San Jacinto with 13 points, while Carter added 12 and Hines threw in 10.

Tenaha tops Shelbyville, 50-29, will receive playoff bye - Febrauary 8, 2012
By John Krueger
Sports Correspondent

Lady Tigers claim fifth straight league title

Tenaha post player Jalysa Steadman (5) tries to make a move toward the paint against a pair of Shelbyville defenders led by Camory Bolton (15) during Tuesday night's game in the Tenaha Special Events Center. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

Tenaha guard Ashlee Ray (33) alters her shot as she's being defended by Shelbyville's Jakera Land (32) during Tuesday night's regular season finale in the Tenaha Special Events Center. The Lady Tigers captured the District 22-1A D-I title with a 50-29 win. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

When the Tenaha Lady Tigers get to the stretch run, they can almost 'smell' the playoffs. For the fifth consecutive season the Lady Tigers have gotten on a roll in league play and the end result Tuesday night was the same as the previous four - district champs.

Laura Holmes and her Tenaha squad wrapped up the outright District 22-1A D-I championship Tuesday night, winning for the ninth time in its last 10 games with a 50-29 win over the Shelbyville Lady Dragons in the Tenaha Special Events Center.

Tenaha (17-12) claimed the district title with a 9-1 mark, the only setback coming to second-place Beckville (16-13). The Ladycats clinched a playoff spot and the runner-up position in the league with a 40-25 win over Garrison (8-14) in Bearcat Gymnasium Tuesday night.

With the league title comes a first-round bye in the playoffs for the Lady Tigers. THS will play at the end of next week in the Area round. Beckville will take on New Summerfield in bi-district action early next week, with the site/time yet to be determined. New Summerfield finished third in District 21-1A.

The third-place team in District 22-1A has yet to be termined. With the loss to Beckville, Garrison fell back into a third-place tie with Timpson (9-13), which was defeating Gary, 51-43, on Tuesday. Because the Lady Bears and Lady Bulldogs both finished with identical 5-5 league marks and split their two games this year,

they will play a play-in game Saturday at 5 p.m. in Shelbyville to determine which team will represpent District 22-1A as the third-place team in the postseason.

In the victory over the Lady Dragons, senior Whitney Jackson had the hot hand, scoring 15 points for the Lady Tigers. Sophomore Jalysa Steadman was also in double figures with 13 points, Sophomore Shantivia Gray added nine, Sophomore post Eboni Moore dropped in four, junior Ashlee Ray added three and senior Taylor Killey, senior Tia Thomas and junior Courtney Edwards each chipped in two points.

Tenaha wasted no time building a lead in this contest, taking a 17-9 lead at the end of the first quarter and widening the advantage to 23-16 at the half.

The Lady Tigers continued to make a push in the third quarter, outscoring the Lady Dragons 10-6 in the quarter and then coasted in the fourth, outscoring SHS 17-7.

Toledo Bend Little Dribblers League Played Saturday in Joaquin - January 25, 2012
Submitted by John Krueger, Sports Correspondent

Photo Right: A player from the Fury starts a fast-break opportunity against the Lady Dragons during action Saturday in the Toledo Bend Little Dribblers league played in Joaquin. (Photo by Scott Flowers)

Photo Left: A member of the Fury puts up a free throw during action Saturday in the Toledo Bend Little Dribblers League. The league, made up of boys and girls teams, is in action each week. (Photo by Scott Flowers)

Lady Rams bounce Jefferson, clipped by HHS - January 24, 2012
By John Krueger, Sports Correspondent

The Joaquin Lady Rams continue to play .500 basketball against District 20-2A competition, splitting their last two games against league foes. The Lady Rams knocked off Jefferson at home last Friday, 37-27, with a tremendous defensive effort, before falling to Harleton on the road on Tuesday, 43-36.

Joaquin is now 13-12 on the year, but still very much in the league's playoff chase with a 2-2 record heading into Friday night's play. Joaquin hosts Elysian Fields at 6:15 p.m.

Joaquin 37, Jefferson 27 -- Despite a poor shooting performance, the Lady Rams played excellent defense, picking up 22 steals in a 37-27 win in Ram Gymnasium against the Lady Bulldogs last Friday.

Katelyn Cockrell and Whitney Vaughn each recorded six steals, while Annabeth Vaughn added four and Jordan Welch added three as the Lady Rams shut down Jefferson.

On the offensive side, Cockrell led the Lady Ram scoring with 11 points, with Chasity Baker dropping in eight points, Whitney Vaughn chipping in six, Ava Stephens scoring five and Annabeth Vaughn scoring four. Mallory Martinez scored two points and Welch had one point.

The Lady Rams won the game despite hitting just 19% (11-of-59) from the field and 12-of-27 from the free throw line.

Joaquin finished with 23 rebounds as a team. Baker led all Lady Ram rebounders with five, with Cockrell adding four and the two Vaughns, Stephens and Martinez each pulling down three.

The Lady Rams had 23 turnovers.

Joaquin had to come from behind after scoring just two points in the first quarter as the Lady Rams trailed 9-2. But a 16-point outburst in the second quarter helped Joaquin take a 18-13 into the locker room at the half.

The Lady Rams continued their tough defensive play in the second half, holding the Lady Bulldogs to just seven points in each of the last two quarters, while scoring 19 offensively.

Harleton 43, Joaquin 36 -- Mallory Martinez was the only Joaquin player in double figures, scoring 12 points, but the rest of the Lady Rams only managed 24 in a 43-36 setback at Harleton.

Stephens and Whitney Vaughn each added six points for Joaquin, while Cockrell dropped in five, Baker chipped in three and Welch and Annabeth Vaughn both scored two points.

As a team, Joaquin finished the game with 24 rebounds. Annabeth Vaughn paced the team with six boards, with Cockrell and Martinez each snapping down four and Baker adding three.

JHS struggled with 34 turnovers in the game.

Rams struggle in early league setbacks - January 24, 2012
By John Krueger
Sports Correspondent

After a hot start to the season, the Joaquin Rams have struggled since the Christmas break, dropping five of their last six. The Rams latest two setbacks have been the biggest, falling in District 20-2A encounters against Jefferson and Harleton.

The Rams fell to Jefferson at home on Friday night, 81-52, and Harleton on the road Tuesday, 48-32, to drop back to 0-2 in league action, 15-8 on the season.

In other District 20-2A games last Friday, Waskom knocked off Harleton, 63-35, and Tatum cruised past Elysian Fields, 83-22. In games on Tuesday, Tatum routed Jefferson, 84-46, and Waskom bumped off Elysian Fields, 79-36.

Tatum and Waskom lead the early district race with identical 2-0 District 20-2A marks, with Jefferson and Harleton one game back at 1-1. Joaquin and Elysian Fields are both tied at 0-2 in the league.

In contests scheduled for Friday night, the Rams are set to host Elysian Fields, Harleton will visit Tatum and Waskom will host Tatum in a battle of the league's front-runners.

Jefferson 81, Joaquin 52 -- Wyatt Hairgrove led the Rams' attack, hitting 11-of-24 field goals for 25 points, but the Rams came out short in a fast-paced 81-52 setback at the hands of Jefferson in Ram Gymnasium.

Za Cooper and Will Vaughn each added seven points apiece for the Rams, while Tra Rogers chipped in five, P.J. Peterson and Tristan Hairgrove added three each and Cody Runnels scored two points.

As a team, Joaquin hit 21-of-60 (35%) from the field, but only 3-of-12 (25%) from the free throw line.

Vaughn led the Rams in the rebounding department, pulling down five, with Rogers adding four and Hayden Ferguson and Tristan Hairgrove chipping in two each.

Wyatt Hairgrove totaled three steals, with Kain Yates leading the Rams in assists with two.

Jefferson led 16-10 at the end of the opening period, but widened the gap to 36-20 at the break by outscoring the Rams 20-10 in the second period. The Bulldogs then put the game on ice in the third by outscoring Joaquin 23-11 to lead 59-31 heading into the fourth quarter.

Harleton 48, Joaquin 32 -- Joaquin couldn't overcome 28% (15-of-53) shooting from the field on Tuesday night in a 48-32 loss on the road.

Only one Ram player scored in double figures, with Wyatt Hairgrove scoring 10 points. Peterson added eight points to the cause, with Rogers, Cooper and Vaughn each chipping in four and Tristan Hairgrove scored two points.

Vaughn was the leading rebounder for the Rams with eight, while Peterson added five and Rogers pulled down three.

Runnels and Wyatt Hairgrove each blocked a pair of shots, Vaughn had three steals and Hairgrove two for the Rams, while Rogers dished out four assists.

Barrientos, Center rolls over Lady Eagles, 3-1 - January 24, 2012
By John Krueger
Sports Correspondent

Annete Barrientos recorded the hat trick Tuesday night as the Center Lady Rider soccer team moved over the .500 mark on the season with a 3-1 win over Tatum at Eagle Stadium.

The victory comes after the Lady Riders posted a 2-2 mark at Palestine Tournament last weekend. Center began the tourney with a 3-0 shutout of Chapel Hill on Thursday, then blanked Tenaha, 3-0, Friday afternoon. The Lady Riders had to play back-to-back games on Friday, dropping their first game of the season later Friday, dropping a 5-0 decision.

The Lady Riders' final game of the tourney on Saturday was a 2-0 shutout loss at the hands of Chapel Hill.

In the win over Tatum, Center (3-2) took a 1-0 lead at the 33-minute mark in the first half, but the Lady Eagles came back to knot the score at 1-1 just five minutes later.

Center then took the lead for good with 20 minutes left in the half and took a 2-1 lead into the halftime break.

The final Lady Rider goal by Barrientos came with 12 minutes remaining in the contest, icing the contest.

Raquel Hernandez was the winning goalkeeper for Center, posting 10 saves on the 11 shots she faced.

"Raquel deserved the game ball for her performance against Tatum," said Center head coach Jonathan Vick. "She played the best game I have ever seen her play. She made some incredible saves and was all over the place protecting the goal."

Center will return to action Friday night at home when the Lady Riders take on Spring Hill. The game will get underway at 6 p.m.

'Riders take down Indians, fall to Tatum - January 24, 2012
By John Krueger
Sports Correspondent

The Center boys soccer team continues to battle to get lineups down as well as rotations as the Roughrider work through the early portions of the 2012 season. Center scored its high goal output of the season on Friday night in a 5-1 win over Carlisle, then came back on Tuesday night and was shut out for the first time on the year in a 1-0 setback at the hands of Tatum.

Center, which stands at 2-1 on the season after Tuesday's setback, opened play at the Palestine Tournament on Thursday against Jacksonville. CHS also faced Corsicana and Whitehouse on Friday. The Roughriders are set to square off with Mabank on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

In the 5-1 win over Carlisle on Friday, the Roughriders moved out to a 2-0 lead at the halftime break, with Luis Garcia and Gerardo Chavez putting the ball in the net for Center.

Carlisle came out in the second half and quickly cut the deficit in half, 2-1, with an early goal, forcing the Roughriders to go on the offensive again.

Garcia then scored his second goal of the contest on an outstanding corner kick. That was followed by scoring plays by Bryan Ruiz and Pablo Gonzalez to close out the match.

"Luis' goal was really an awesome play," said Roughrider head coach Richard Ruiz. "We're still looking good for early in the season, but we've still got some fine-tuning to do as we make adjustments to the lineup."

In the 1-0 loss to Tatum on Tuesday, the score was tied 0-0 at intermission before the Eagles were able to break on top and take the one-goal win in the second half.

"We took a lot of shots against Tatum, but we just couldn't get them in the back of the net," Ruiz added. "We've got to do a better job of finishing when we get the ball near the net."

Ladyjacks struggle in 69-61 loss to Mavs - January 24, 2012

NACOGDOCHES - For the first time all season the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks suffered their second straight defeat, falling 69-61 to UT-Arlington Saturday evening at the William R. Johnson Coliseum.

Tammara Marion (20 points) and Brittney Matthew (12 points) led the way for SFA offensively but it was the defensive side of the ball where the Ladyjacks struggled on this particular evening. The Mavericks' 69 points was tied for the second-most points allowed by SFA this season and the most points given up since a 69-64 loss at home on Dec. 12 to Arkansas State.

SFA (12-5, 2-2) allowed UTA to shoot just 40 percent from the floor but the Mavericks took advantage at the free throw line, where they connected on an outrageous 22-of-24 (91.7%) attempts.

Three Mavericks (3-14, 1-4) scored in double-digits, including a team-high 19 points from point guard Sabreena Denure. She was helped by Malaika Green and Chauntandr Williams, each of which scored 10 points off the UTA bench.

The Ladyjacks were in catch up mode most of the first half, falling behind 9-0 in just the game's first three minutes before finally pulling within 11-10 at the 14:45 mark on one of Matthew's three three-point shots on the evening.

UTA would never relinquish the lead in the game's first 20 minutes though, and took a 35-33 lead into intermission. The Ladyjacks shot just 28 percent from the floor in the first half and were led in scoring by Marion and Matthew, who each scored nine points.

In the second half the Ladyjacks began to hit their rhythm on the offensive side of the floor at the 13 minutes mark when they took the lead for the first time all evening on a Marion driving layup.

SFA was clinging on to a 57-53 lead with just under five minutes remaining in the contest when the team's offense stalled and the Mavericks took over. UTA closed the game on a 14-4 run the final four minutes led by eight points from Green.

The Ladyjacks had an opportunity to even the score with 17 seconds remaining by a Marion layup fell short and was tipped out of bounds by SFA and over to the Mavericks. UTA proceeded to hit all six of their free throws in the final 15 seconds to secure the victory.

SFA will look to get back to their winning ways on Wednesday, Jan. 25 when they travel to Huntsville for a showdown with the Sam Houston State Bearkats.

Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game can be heard on Q107.7 FM with James Dixon doing play-by-play.

Mavs hold off 'Jacks in Texas Hall finale - January 24, 2012

ARLINGTON - The UT-Arlington Mavericks closed the game on a 10-2 run in the game's final two minutes to remain undefeated in conference play with a 63-54 win over Stephen F. Austin on Saturday at Texas Hall.

The Mavericks (13-5, 6-0 SLC) tied a school record with its ninth consecutive victory, but had to work to get there as the `Jacks (9-9, 3-2 SLC), who committed a season-high 24 turnovers, were able to take their first lead since early in the half on consecutive three-point buckets from Antonio Bostic who finished with a team-high 14 points with just 3:28 minutes to play.

But UTA - who was saying farewell to Texas Hall before opening up its brand-new arena, College Park Center, on Feb. 1 against UTSA - hit each of its last 10 from the foul line late in the game and finished 21-of-27 from the charity stripe to remain perfect in league play.

LaMarcus Reed, who was averaging over 20 points in conference play and was just 2-of-9 from the field until late in the game, converted consecutive buckets and hit all six of his foul shots down the stretch to help push the Mavs to the win. Meanwhile, SFA had its chances and trailed by just three points at the half, but was just 4-for-9 from the foul line and 4-for-15 from beyond the arc on the night.

Taylor Smith was the only other `Jack to reach double figures with 10 points and five rebounds, while Hal Bateman finished with seven points and five assists on the night as the `Jacks held the Mavs to a season-low point total defensively.

SFA shot a solid 46.0 percent from the floor and hit all four of its triples in the second half, but never could surge past the Mavs on the scoreboard until hitting long balls on three consecutive possessions, one from Desmond Haymon and two from Bostic, the second of which gave the `Jacks a 50-48 lead.

But the Mavs got each of their next five points from the foul line, and after the teams traded points on consecutive possessions it was Reed giving UTA a three-point lead with a driving basket with just 36 seconds to play. SFA turned it over on its next possession and the Mavs rode out the rest of the game at the foul line to finish the game with its largest lead of the night.

The `Jacks outrebounded the Mavs and made more shots from the field, but were outscored by 17 at the line, marking just the third time this season that SFA has lost the battle at the foul line. In addition, the Mavs were able to convert the 24 SFA turnovers into 27 points, spelling the edge in the ballgame.

SFA will get another shot at the Mavs on February 15 in Nacogdoches, but next will take on Sam Houston State on Wednesday at home. That game is slated for a 7:00 p.m. tip and will be aired live on the Southland Conference TV Network.

'Cram the Coliseum' set this week - January 24, 2012

NACOGDOCHES – The Stephen F. Austin athletics department, in conjunction with the Nacogdoches County Chamber of Commerce, will sponsor 'Cram the Coliseum' for a pair of SFA basketball home games on Wednesday and Saturday this week.

The Lumberjacks will host Sam Houston State Wednesday at 7 p.m., while the SFA women will take on Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday at 6 p.m. Both games are full of promotions aimed at SFA students and the Nacogdoches community.

Chamber members are distributing Cram the Coliseum tickets to the public. The tickets are free and good for admission to either game.

No.1 TVCC fights off Fillies, 119-81 - January 23, 2012
By John Krueger, Sports Correspondent

Panola College freshman Catarina Jones (4) drives past Trinity Valley's Keiana Odom (12) during Wednesday night's game in Arthur Johnson Gymnasium. Jones finished the game with eight points in a 119-81 Panola setback. (Photo by John Krueger)

CARTHAGE -- Dethroning the No.1-ranked Trinity Valley Community College Lady Cardinals was a tall order and one that Panola College gave their best shot Wednesday night. But in the end the unbeaten Lady Cards (18-0, 7-0 Region XIV) had too much muscle and they took a 119-81 victory here in Arthur Johnson Gymnasium.

Panola College (7-11, 1-5 Region XIV) has a young squad this season and the Fillies gave TVCC a run for its money early on, only trailing by a 57-47 count at the half. But the veteran Lady Cardinals slowly began to pull away over the final 20 minutes and recorded the one-sided victory.

Trinity Valley leads the league standings by one game over Lon Morris (14-5, 6-1 conf.), followed by Tyler Junior College (12-5, 4-2 conf.) and Paris Junior College (15-3, 4-2 conf.). Angelina College currently sits at 4-3 in the league, followed by Blinn (14-2, 3-2 conf.), Kilgore (8-7, 1-4 conf.) and the Fillies.

Panola College sophomore guard Oditte Odisho (with ball) flies in for a layup past Trinity Valley's Keuna Flax during Wednesday night's action in Arthur Johnson Gymnasium. The Lady Cardinals won, 119-81. (Photo by John Krueger)

Panola College sophomore Chasity Taylor, who led the Panola College with a 26-point output, helped keep the Fillies in the contest in the first half by pouring in 17 points. Sophomore Jasamine Beard scored all her 11 points in the opening half to help the underdog Fillies.

The Lady Cardinals pushed the ball up the court all night and also pushed the ball in the paint. As a result they went to the line 20 times in the first half, converting 14, while the Fillies were only 1-of-2.

Trinity Valley finished the game 27-of-36 (75%), while Panola was 16-of-21 (76.2%).

In addition to the effort by Taylor and Beard, freshman Elizabeth Handy added nine points for Panola College, while freshmen Catarina Jones and Lanese Bough each cashed n eight points, freshman Dannisha Jackson chipped in seven and sophomore Oditte Odisho scored five points.

Five different players scored in double figures for the Lady Cardinals, led by a 30-point effort by sophomore guard Sha'Kayla Caples. Caples scored 18 points in the first half alone.

TVCC sophomore Jenea Barrett added 21 points, while sophomore Breanna Lewis added 17, sophomore Keuna Flax threw in 16 and freshman Brittney Gill chipped in 11 points.

After holding the 10-point lead at the half, the Lady Cardinals began to pull away early in the second half, going on a 14-0 run over the first 6:11 of the second half and a 20-3 run that ended with 11:22 left in the contest to grab a 77-50 lead.

The teams then traded baskets for much of the second half after that point, with the Lady Cardinals pushing the lead out to the 38-point final.

The Fillies will return to action on Saturday when they host Southern University-Shreveport in a non-conference matchup at 2 p.m. in Johnson Gymnasium Panola will return to conference play on Wednesday at Lon Morris College in Jacksonville at 5:30 p.m.

'Cats hand Bears second straight league loss - January 23, 2012
By Stephen Ewing, Sports Correspondent

Timpson guard Jaylin Rhodes (10) drives in for a layup during earlier season action against Shelbyville. The Bears fell to Gary on Friday night, 65-57. (Photo by Ray Jackson)

TIMPSON -- Going into the 2011-12 basketball season, everyone knew that Tenaha would be the team to beat in District 22-1A D-I. What they didn't know was who would be in the running for the other playoff slots in the league.

Timpson and Shelbyville have strong basketball traditions, while Garrison and Beckville are known for being competitive in all sports. The 'wild card' seemed to be the Gary Bobcats. The only team in the district not playing football, the Bobcats took advantage of the extra time in the gym to get a leg up on their competition in preparation. That extended work has paid huge dividends, as the Bobcats have run their record to 13-9 on the year, but more importantly, they now sit at 3-0 in district play, tied for the league lead with the aforementioned Tenaha Tigers (10-3, 3-0 district).

The 'Cats got that third win Friday night on the road, here at the John Herbert Eakin Gymnasium, knocking off the hometown Bears, 65-57. The Bobcats continued to do what has worked for them all year: They protected the ball offensively, moved the ball around with crisp, accurate passing, took high percentage shots and they outshot their opponent from the free throw line.

And they played great defense - at least for one half.

The Bobcats used a crafty half-court press to force several turnovers and some poor shot selection from the Bears, then pushed the ball up the court aggressively to transition the takeaways and rebounds into quick points. This strategy allowed them to open up a 15-5 lead after the first period. They got a timely three-pointer from guard Matt Wood in the second quarter, then used the fast break to push the outscore the Bears 20-14 in to take a 35-19 halftime lead.

The Bears refused to go down without a fight, however, as they came out clawing in the third period, using their tenacious full-court press, to power a 10-0 run to start the period. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, the Bears had trimmed the lead to seven points at 42-35, and seemed to have momentum working in their direction.

That's when Stephen White and Josh Bowen seemed to take over the game. The pair combined for 11 fourth period points, including a three by Bowen, that stretched the lead back to 10 points. They used more good passing to break the Timpson press, and drew enough fouls to get three of the Bear starters in foul trouble. They sealed the win with 69% shooting from the free throw line, compared to 44% for Timpson.

Gary head coach Tony Wood liked what he saw.

"That's how we've won games all year," Wood stated. "We rarely have anybody score 20 or more. It's usually five or six kids getting around ten apiece. When they can't key on one player, it makes us hard to defense."

He also commented on the success on details, particularly free throws.

"We've averaged about 65% on free throws all year," the coach continued. "That helps you win tight games."

He was also impressed with the "never quit" attitude displayed by the Timpson squad.

"We knew they were going to make a run at us in the second half, and they really got after us in the third quarter, holding us to only seven points. I was relieved to get out of here with a win."

True to their coach's word, the Bobcats 'spread the wealth', with Bowen leading the way with 13 points. The sophomore guard also pulled down six defensive rebounds, while dishing out four assists. Senior guard Luke Thornton poured in 12 points, while notching four steals and four assists. White, Levi Cohorst and Connor Coligan added nine points each, while Matt Wood contributed seven.

For the Bears, Lorenzo Young and Terrance Brown tied to lead all scorers with 14 apiece. John Jacobs added 11 while pulling down nine rebounds and stealing the ball four times. Jaylin Rhodes added eight points, seven rebounds and six steals.

In other District 22-1A results from Friday, Tenaha burned Shelbyville, 96-38, and Garrison knocked off Beckville, 57-34.

The Bobcats will look to stay at the forefront of the district title chase Tuesday when they travel to Shelbyville (4-12, 1-2 district) to take on the Dragons. Timpson drops to 5-15 on the year, 1-2 in district play. The Bears will be at home once again to take on Attoyac River rival Garrison (2-5, 1-2 district). In the other league matchup, Tenaha will visit Beckville (1-14, 0-3 district).

Lady Bears stay in playoff hunt, 42-35 - January 23, 2012
By Stephen Ewing, Sports Correspondent

Timpson post player Tammi Harris (32) blocks a shot by Joaquin's Katelyn Cockrell during earlier season action. The Lady Bears still have their playoff destination in their own hands at the midway point of league play. (Photo by John Krueger)

TIMPSON -- Any of the teams in the District 22-1A girls' basketball race that are looking to nail down one of the three playoff berths are going to have to deal with the Timpson Lady Bears sooner or later.

While currently sitting on the 'outside' of the playoff picture and looking 'in' at the midway point of the regular season league run, the Lady Bears can control their own destiny if they can pick up a few key wins in the coming two weeks. They got one of those wins Friday night here in John Herbert Eakin Gymnasium, knocking off one of their chief rivals, the Gary Lady Bobcats, 42-35.

After a back-and-forth first half that left Timpson leading by a basket at the break, the Lady Bears pitched a shutout in the third period, holding their guests scoreless, while pouring in 12 points of their own. They then used a ball-control strategy in the final period to hold off a comeback attempt by the Lady Bobcats.

The Lady Bears got a couple of outstanding efforts in the contest, led by guard Jakelia Caraway. The junior led all scorers with 26 points, most of which came on fast-break mismatches after steals created by Timpson's half-court trap defense. Caraway notched four of those steals herself.

Post player Tammi Harris pulled down a game-high 20 rebounds, nine of which were on the defensive boards, to go with her seven points. Point guard Rachel Reeves made 3-of-4 free throws to finish with five points while grabbing two steals and dishing out four assists. Harley Martin added four points and three assists. LaToya Cartwright pulled down 10 rebounds.

Timpson head coach Keith Prather was excited after the win.

"Our girls just keep working hard and doing what we ask them to do," Prather stated. "Gary's girls are tough. They don't have the record to show it, but they are scrappy and if you ever let them get hot they've got some kids who can shoot.

"We played good defense and kept them out of their game plan, especially in the third quarter. To hold them scoreless for a full quarter is something to be proud of."

Prather is aware that his team faces an uphill battle, but believes a playoff berth is a reasonable goal.

"This district is wide open. Tenaha is definitely the team to beat, but after that its really close. We know we can play with the other four."

The Lady Bobcats were led junior post Chelsea Powdrill, who scored nine points to go with seven rebounds. Guards Brittany Odom and Riley Beckham added eight points apiece and Collyn Pinkerton tossed in four. The Lady Bobcats did outshoot Timpson at the charity stripe, hitting 9-of-12 (75%), compared to 10-of-23 (43%) for the Lady Bears.

In other District 22-1A results on Friday, Beckville knocked off Garrison, 44-38, and Tenaha edged Shelbyville in overtime, 47-41.

The Lady Bears have a huge home game Tuesday night, when they host arch-rival Garrison. The Lady Bulldogs currently sit third place in District 22-1A D-I, two games back of league leading Tenaha (13-11, 5-0 district), at 3-2. The Lady Bears are one game behind Garrison at 2-3, (6-11 for the season) with the difference being the Lady 'Dogs' 39-24 win over Timpson at the Dawg Pound on Jan. 6. A win by the Lady Bears would put the neighbors tied for third place.

The Lady Bobcats will try to turn their season around on the road Tuesday night when they travel to Shelbyville for another district matchup. The Lady Bobcats are 3-10 for the year, 0-5 in district play.

In the other game on Tuesday, Tenaha will travel to Beckville (12-12, 4-1 district) with first place in district on the line.

Ponies throw scare into Trinity Valley, 58-55 - January 23, 2012
By John Krueger, Sports Correspondent

Panola College freshman Robert Lee (with ball) split a pair of Trinity Valley defenders on the way to the basket during Wednesday night's Region XIV North Zone game in Arthur Johnson Gymnasium. (Photo by John Krueger)

CARTHAGE -- The Panola College Ponies have faced an uphill battle this season because of the young squad they put on the floor night after night. So victories aren't necessarily being measured by wins and losses.

Case-and-point was Wednesday night's game against the Region XIV North Zone front-running Trinity Valley Cardinals that came to Arthur Johnson Gymnasium looking to make easy work of the Ponies. What the Cards got was a dog fight as the Ponies battled them down to the wire, just missing a chance to sending the game into overtime and losing 58-55 in front of a rowdy crowd.

Panola College sophomore Zieyik Estime (with ball) explodes past Trinity Valley's Billy Johnson (31) during Wednesday night's Region XIV game in Arthur Johnson Gymnasium. (Photo by John Krueger)

Trailing 56-52 with 40.1 seconds remaining, Panola College wouldn't give up. Mack converted an offensive rebound with 24.7 seconds left to cut the Cardinals' lead to 56-54 and Billy Johnson (7 points) answered for TVCC with a pair of free throws with 12.8 second left to push the lead back to four, 58-54.

Robert Lee (6 points) then missed a key layup on a fast-break attempt for the Ponies and Lonnie McElwain (2 points) had a chance to put in the follow-up shot and it missed as well.

But the Ponies received a break when a technical foul was called on the Cardinals and Mack knocked down 1-of-2 free throws with 3.1 seconds left to trim the lead to 58-55.

With a chance to ice the game, Scarver was fouled and stepped to the line for the Cardinals, but missed both shots. Lee then had a chance to send the game into overtime at the buzzer, but his 40-foot three-pointer was on the mark, but short and only hit the net as the buzzer sounded.

The Ponies (7-11, 1-5 Region XIV) had nothing to lose in this game and played like it. They were loose and they slowed the game down to a crawl, which was almost the demise of the Cardinals (13-4, 6-0 Region XIV).

"We knew we couldn't run with them, they just had too many athletes and too much experience for us," said Panola College head coach Junsie Cotten. "So our game plan was to make this a half-court game as much as possible and work the ball inside and then take the three points when we had good looks.

"It was a great effort by the guys. I can't complement them enough. Sure we're disappointed that we lost and I told the players they should be. But they fought this team down to the wire and used some fantastic support by our fans to give us a chance to send it into overtime at the end.

"Games like this are the ones we can build off for the future. We're a young team, but we're not using that as an excuse any more. We have to go out there and battle with teams from a very tough conference and we did that tonight.

"Sure our defense broke down here and there late in the game and we missed some free throws that would have been a big plus for us, but the effort was there and I can't fault the guys for that."

Panola fought on defense, forcing the Cards into 20 turnovers on the night. The Ponies produced 22 turnovers.

Free throw shooting could have pushed the Ponies over the top. Panola converted only 12-of-24 (50%) from the charity stripe in the contest, including 8-of-16 in the second half. The Cardinals were 19-of-32 (59.3%) for the game.

Sophomore Zieyik Estime led the Ponies in scoring with 15 points, while freshman JaRon Denmark knocked down 11 and sophomore Issac Mack scored nine points.

D.D. Scarver paced the Cardinals with a 21-point effort. Dominique Elliott added 12.