By Myra Bean
The South Panola basketball teams traveled to Lake Cormorant Tuesday and came away with varsity non-district wins.
The Lady Tigers (5-10 overall, 0-3 district) ran over the Lady Gators 53-24.
The Tiger boys (6-5, 0-3) squeaked by 58-55.
SP Girls 53, LC 24
The Lady Tigers took an 18-8 lead at the end of the first quarter. The score was aided by two three-pointers from Jasmine Wright and one from Sydney Morgan.
Morgan led all scorers with a career-high 26 points, including five three-pointers.
Chloe Morgan also scored six points in the first quarter to aid the Lady Tigers.
The second and fourth quarter, Sydney Morgan came more alive. In the second quarter, she scored 12 of the team’s 16 points and in the fourth quarter, she scored 11 of the team’s 15 points.
At the half, the Lady Tigers led 34-16.
Basket distribution was scarce in the third quarter as the teams only scored six points between them. South Panola outscored Lake Cormorant 4-2 to take a 36-18 lead into the fourth quarter.
Also scoring for the Lady Tigers were Wright, nine points; Chloe Morgan, seven points; Alexis Smith, four points; Marshala Doyle, two points; and Breanna Bland, one point.
SP boys 58, LC 55
South Panola had maintained its three-point lead with 3.5 seconds left in the game. The Tigers had to inbound the ball at center court.
“Even if they (Lake Cormorant) stole the ball, they would have had to make a half court shot,” said Tiger head coach Charlie Howard.
However, when the ball was inbounded, the clock keeper did not turn on the clock and the official called the game.
“It was a wild game,” Howard said.
The game was tied at 39 going into the fourth quarter. South Panola built a six-point lead, but Lake Cormorant went on a run and cut the lead to three with six seconds left in the game.
Jordin Smith scored 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter. He led the Tigers in scoring.
Lake Cormorant was led in scoring with Jazz Freeman who also scored 16 points.
The Tigers led 13-9 at the end of the first quarter and kept that margin going into halftime with a 27-24 lead.
Bobby Thomas scored 10 of his 14 points in the first two quarters, sinking a three-pointer in each, along with Smith’s two three-pointers in the first half.
Quen Poole scored all seven of his opints in the first two quarters, hitting three of five free throws.
Lake Cormorant outscored South Panola 16-12 in the third quarter to erase the deficit and send the game into the fourth quarter tied.
Other scorers for South Panola include Josh Sims, who scored all six points in the fourth quarter; Byron Robinson, three points; Andre Gleaton, two points; and Ketrell Key, one point.
The Tigers will travel to Grenada to play four non-district games tonight starting at 4 p.m. with the jr. varsity girls.
Tuesday, South Panola returns home to host Hernando in district action starting at 4 p.m. with the jr. varsity girls.