Don”t underestimate the power of a layup.
There probably is some statistical analysis that will prove a team can score more points if it shoots more 3-pointers at a certain percentage than two-point field goals in a game.
That strategy, though, requires a team to make enough treys so it can survive from beyond the arc.
It took the West Lowndes High School boys basketball team more than two quarters to realize the healing powers that could be derived from taking the basketball to the rim.
Once the Panthers scored that first layup, the dominoes fell like lightning and raised their energy level on defense.
Tyquan Lucious had a game-high 23 points, and Antonio Wilson added 18 Saturday night to lead West Lowndes to a 62-55 comeback victory against East Webster in the consolation game of the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 2A, Region 2, District 1 tournament at West Lowndes High.
“We noticed we got their big boys in foul trouble, so we just told the to take it to the basket, take it to the basket,” West Lowndes coach Roosevelt Bridges said. “Once we started taking it to the goal, that is what gave us the spark.”
DeAndra Lewis (11 points) and Brandon Clark (eight) also played key roles in helping West Lowndes (17-8) outscore East Webster 23-9 in the fourth quarter to earn the No. 3 seed for the next week”s North State tournament.
The Panthers lived off their perimeter shooting in the first half and soon found themselves trailing 30-21 early in the third quarter. It wasn”t until a layup by Lucious with 5 minutes, 17 seconds to go in the quarter provided a spark and changed the Panthers from perimeter marksmen to drivers who were bent on getting to the rim any way they could.
“We had to drive the ball to win,” Clark said. “Once the first one fell, everybody goes. Everybody else picked it up.”
West Lowndes scored on five drives in a row midway through the third quarter, but the Wolverines duplicated the Panthers” success. Ledrick Patterson (17 points) and Miguel Graham (15) helped East Webster survive the onslaught and build its lead back to 51-41 with 5:39 to play.
That”s when the Panthers” layups started to add up. Wilson and Lewis converted three-point plays off drives, and Lucious added another drive but failed to convert the free throw to cut the deficit to 51-49 with 4:48 to go.
Lucious hit West Lowndes” second 3-pointer of the second half to give West Lowndes the lead for good, 52-51, with 4:19 remaining. The Panthers then finished off the game with layups. Lucious scored on a weaving foray to the basket that brought the crowd to its feet before Wilson sealed the deal with a steal and a layup and another layup in the final minute.
“We were just trying to draw fouls and get their big men in foul trouble,” Wilson said. “I had to fuss at them a little bit. I told (Lucious), ”Drive the ball to the hole and stop shooting threes.” It sunk in pretty quick.”
Lucious said the Panthers came out sluggish, but he credited Wilson, a junior, for setting the tone in the first half with his drives to the basket. It took the rest of the team a while to catch on, but once they did the momentum was too much to stop.
“(Making the layups) gave us a whole bunch of momentum because then we started pressing and taking their momentum down and they couldn”t get back into the game,” Lucious said.
The win helped West Lowndes bounce back from a 91-71 loss to Bruce on Friday night. Wilson (26 points) and Lucious (24) led the Panthers, who were outscored 46-29 in the second half.
n Heritage Academy girls win: At Greenwood, Rachel Hollivay had 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots Saturday to lead the Heritage Academy girls basketball team to a 59-49 victory against East Rankin in the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class AAA, Division II tournament at Pillow Academy.
Christibeth Nelson had 23 points to lead the Lady Patriots into the title game Monday night against Pillow Academy.
n Lamar County girls reach state playoffs
RED BAY, Ala. — Malika Swanigan scored 18 points Thursday night to lead the Lamar County High School girls basketball team to a 44-40 victory against Sulligent in the Alabama High School Athletic Association Class 2A, Area 12 tournament.
Kelsey Miles and Jessie Smith each had 13 points to help the Lady Bulldogs qualify for the state tournament.
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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