By Angie Ledbetter

The South Panola Tigers traveled to Independence Monday night returning home with a 56-55 overtime win.

  James Spraggin led the team with 23 points and Antonio Jones added 16.

    “I only had eight guys dressed out due to some in school suspensions because of grades,” said Head Coach Charlie Howard. “It was kind of a weird game. We had a sixteen point lead at one time and then they went up on us by 8. We had to claw our way back in it to regain the lead and then they had to hit a couple of free throws to send it into overtime.”

All in all, Howard is proud of how the team played.

“The eight that I had played hard and left it all on the floor no doubt,” he added. “Jones never came out of the game. He played all 32 minutes and he was cramped up all over. I attribute that to playing so hard and leaving it all out there on the court. I told them in the dressing room that I couldn’t be anymore prouder of them with their performance in this game being shorthanded the way we were.”

The Tigers will host Grenada Tuesday following the girl’s game.