By Brad Greer

Led by Marque Phillips’ eight fourth quarter points, the North Panola Cougars outlasted visiting Shelby Broadstreet 56-51 in boys high school basketball action Tuesday night.

In varsity girls action, the North Panola Lady Cougars ran their winning streak to six in a row with a 58-44 victory over the Jaguars.

Trailing 46-45, Phillips gave North Panola the lead for good with a 10-foot jumper with 3:15 remaining in the contest. Brandon Bagwell, who led the Cougars with 14 points, then added a kiss off the glass to give the home team a 49-46 lead.

Albert Grim pulled the Jaguars within a bucket with less than two minutes to play, but Ricky Hunt added a layup and one of two free throws to push the lead to 53-48. Bagwell then iced the game for the Cougars by grabbing a Hunt miss and putting it back for two points with 53 seconds left for a 56-50 lead.

Broadstreet, (5-2), took a 20-18 lead after the first quarter as Zackery Jefferson scored seven of his team-leading ten points in the opening period. The game went back and forth in the second quarter as both teams swapped leading in the final two minutes before intermission. Cardrick Davis gave the Jaguars a 32-29 halftime lead with a three pointer with 18 seconds left.

Sophomore guard Cameron Shorty followed Bagwell with nine points while Deunta Howard, Phillips and Darius Loveberry each registered eight points apiece. Hunt chipped in with seven while Cordarryl Phillips rounded out the scoring with two.

North Panola, (3-4), hit 48 percent from the floor (22-of-45) while making eight-of-12 shots from the free throw line. Broadstreet meanwhile connected on 22-of-42 (52 percent) shooting while turning the ball over 15 times.

In the varsity girls contest, the Lady Cougars outscored Broadstreet 32-22 in the second half to break open a 26-22 halftime lead. Starting guards Brittany Patton and Audrey Taylor combined for 30 points as North Panola improved to 6-1 on the season. Patton led all scorers with 17 points while Taylor and Jenisha Jackson each had 13 while Catonya Newsom chipped in with nine. Nadashney Montgomery added four and Cearea Jackson finished with two points.

“The play of our guards for the most part has carried us so for this season and they played a big role tonight to carry us to victory,” said Cougar head coach Chris Yancy.

“I told them we have to have good guard play to open up things in the middle. If they (the guards) keep playing the way they have been, I really like our chances as the season goes on. Another key is to play under control and limit our turnovers then we will be OK,” said Yancy.

Patton came out smoking in the first quarter as the senior scored nine of her team’s 11 points on three field goals and a three pointer. Taylor’s basket gave the Cougars a 17-9 advantage with 4:55 remaining in the second quarter.

Broadstreet came charging back however by going on a 7-0 run to close the gap to 17-16 as Michelin Sparks drilled a three pointer and Calmetta Greyer hit a runner in the paint to spark the rally.

The Jaguars tied the game at 26-26 midway through the third quarter after North Panola turned the ball over four straight times down the floor. North Panola then settled down and went on a 9-2 run  over the next four minutes as Jenisha Jackson completed a three-point play and Newsom added a three- pointer for a 37-28 Cougar lead.

North Panola took its largest lead of the game at  50- 37 with 2:35 remaining in the contest when Newsom followed her own missed shot with a bucket.

The Cougars hit a 26-of- 56 ( 46 percent) on the night while committing 20 turnovers.

Both  North Panola  varsity squads will be back in action tonight as they host Coldwater beginning at 6 p.m.