By Angie Ledbetter

What could have been and should have been turned out to be a very disappointing night for the South Panola varsity basketball teams as they both lost close games to Columbus Friday night.

In a district rematch from January 13 the Lady Tigers lost 61-56 and the Tigers lost 48-45.

The Lady Tigers led 16-10 at the end of the first quarter. The momentum changed in the second quarter as no shots were falling for the Lady Tigers. Columbus outscored the Lady Tigers 10-2 to lead 20-18 at the half.

It was a foot race in the third quarter for both teams. Senior point guard Christa Brown battled it out with Columbus’ point guard Kiandria Patterson but it was Patterson who won it outscoring Brown 12-10.

Brown got help from younger sister Chresha who knocked down a three-pointer from the corner and Crystal Contreras added two. Columbus outscored the Lady Tigers 19-17 to take a 41-35 lead going into the last quarter.

Columbus went on an 11-2 run to take a 50-37 lead and countered every South Panola play with a score to hang on for the win.

With 2:03 left in the game, South Panola pulled within seven points, 57-50 on three free throws by Christa Brown and a field goal by Raven Brown.   

Columbus went back up on free throws and led 60-51 with 50 seconds remaining in the game.

The Lady Tigers shot 71 percent from the free throw line and had seven turnovers while Columbus shot 68 percent and had 15 turnovers.

Christa Brown led the Lady Tigers with 36 points, five assists, two rebounds and she was 10 of 14 from the free throw line.

Other scorers include Chresha Brown, 10 points; Raven Brown, six points; and Contreras, four.

What was a much needed division win for the Tigers turned out to be a hard fought battle that they lost.

The Tigers took an early 15-10 lead in the first quarter.

The second quarter saw Columbus closing the gap but the Tigers maintained a 27-26 lead at halftime, aided by senior point guard James Watson’s two three-pointers and Tevis Flowers’ two field goals.
Columbus led for the first time, 37-36, with 1:07 left in the third.

The Tigers regained the lead, 39-27, on a Flowers field goal and follow up free throw for the three-point play.

The lead changed hands again and the Tigers went ahead 45-41 with 3:47 left in the game.

Columbus tied the game at 45 with 2:11 left.

With less than two minutes left in the game Troy Collins blocked a shot by the Falcons. With 54 seconds C. J. Scott scored a field goal to give the Falcons a 47-45 lead. Another Tiger foul with a few seconds left sent Falcon Roshad Moore to the line to make one of his two shots to give the Falcons the win.

The Tigers shot 50 percent from the free throw line.

Leading in scoring was Watson with 21 points. Other Tiger scorers include Collins, 11 points, five rebounds; Flowers, seven points, two rebounds; Jaylen Lee, four points, 10 rebounds; and R. J. Scott, two.
Other rebounders include Kendall Turner, five and Tevin Lamar, one.

Columbus had 13 turnovers and shot 42 percent from the line. Leading in scoring was Jones with 21.

The Tigers will continue division action tonight as they travel to Tupelo at 6 p.m.
Friday, the Tigers will travel to Grenada for the final district games of the season which will begin at 5 p.m. with the jr. varsity game.