By Stan Caldwell
stanmansportsfan.com
HATTIESBURG – Whether it was a statement win or not is debatable, but there’s no denying that the Presbyterian Christian boys turned some heads Tuesday night.
PCS used flawless teamwork, good shooting and solid fundamental basketball to pull away from Harrison Central 74-59 at Rees Gymnasium.
The Bobcats improved to 17-3 overall, while the Red Rebels dropped to 11-7.
Coming off a championship last week in the Sandestin Hilton Beach Blowout in Florida, it was more evidence that the Bobcats are going to be a force to be reckoned with in Mississippi basketball.
“Fundamentals are key for us; we can’t live without it,” said PCS coach Josh Sherer. “Being in the right position is part of that.
“It’s a very unselfish group that is always looking for teammates to be open, willing to make the extra passes. Our kids are excited about making those kinds of plays.”
At the outset, though, it was Harrison Central that seemed to have all the answers, especially senior guard Aujaylen Barron, who opened the game with a three-point play and a drive down the lane to grab a quick 5-0 lead.
But after getting a stop on a one-and-done, senior Cannon Crowder stepped back and swished a 3-point shot from the right baseline, and from that point, it was game on.
HC regained the momentum and took a six-point lead, 15-9, but junior Brooks Roberts nailed another 3-ball for PCS and the Bobcats trailed by just two, 16-14, at the end of the first quarter.
That set the stage for the second quarter, in which PCS demonstrated just why its record is what it is.
Crowder hit a 3-pointer, then senior Turner Vance stepped up as PCS ripped off a 14-0 run to take command.
Vance got a putback layup, then drove the lane for another layup, swished a 3-point shot from the left wing, drew a foul and made the free throw to complete a four-point play, and finally junior Khristopher Booker hit another 3-ball.
“We knew this was going to be a tough one,” said Vance. “We were in Destin this past week and came back with a championship, but we knew we couldn’t settle for that. We knew we needed this game to show people what all we could do.”
Crowder hit another 3-pointer to put PCS ahead 33-20, its largest lead of the first half. The Red Rebels scored seven unanswered points to get back in the game, but Vance capped the second quarter with a steal and a fast-break basket in the final seconds of the period.
“I think mostly it was just sharing the ball,” said Vance. “That was something we needed to be doing to compete at the level we needed to be at.”
Harrison Central featured a fearsome-looking front line, led by 6-foot-10 senior Jonathan Pace, but the Bobcats weren’t daunted by the challenge. They attacked the basket, weathered the inevitable blocked shots on the part of the Red Rebels and never backed down.
“Coach always tells us to be aggressive, no matter the circumstances,” said Vance. “That’s a big part of our game, being aggressive. I think that’s what I’m best at, getting to the hole, something I’m comfortable doing.”
PCS essentially won this one from the foul line and the 3-point line. The Bobcats converted 16 of 18 free throws and were 10 of 25 from beyond the arc. By contrast, HC was just 5 of 14 from 3-point range and 2 of 7 from the foul line.
“We just played a really good team that shoots the ball extremely well,” said Red Rebel coach Boo Hardy. “They should go a long way in their state playoffs. We have no excuses; they just outplayed us tonight.”
In fact, getting to late February is part of the reason why this game was played to begin with.
“We’re always going to want to seek out great competition,” said Sherer. “Our league is super-tough and the talent level is super high.
“So it’s really a matter of preparing us for those games. That’s the reason for going to Sandestin, for playing teams like Harrison Central. It’s preparing us for our tournament a few weeks down the way.”
Barron took over for Harrison Central in the third quarter, scoring nine of his game-high 26 points in the third period, and Pace had two big putbacks to narrow the Bobcats’ lead to 42-40.
But this time it was senior Reeves Williamson who stepped up and nailed a 3-point shot, and PCS entered the final quarter with a 47-44 lead.
“We knew coming in that we had to prepare for this one,” said Crowder. “We had an 8 a.m. practice this morning, getting ready for it.
“We knew they were a tough bunch, scrappy and athletic, and they play really good ball. We just executed what the coaches told us to do, and we came out successful.”
Harrison Central opened the fourth quarter with Barron connecting from 15 feet, then junior Riley Walton converted a layup before junior Nehemiah Barnett swished a trey from the right baseline to the game 49-49.
“We just kept our composure,” said Crowder. “We started bringing a little more pressure on defense and started causing turnovers that allowed us to score points. We were able to stop them and put the ball in the hole.”
Instead of caving under the pressure, PCS stepped on the gas.
Senior Cave Pennebaker drove for a layup on a pass from Vance, then sophomore Jet Henderson hit the first of two critical 3-point shots – his only points of the game – to ignite a decisive 12-3 run for the Bobcats.
Barron’s 3-pointer from the left side of the key was the only scoring for Harrison Central in that surge.
A big key for PCS was taking care of the basketball. The Bobcats only committed three turnovers all night – and none in the second half.
“Our balance in that, and turning people over, but doing it the right way, is big for us,” said Sherer.
“We don’t like to gamble on defense, but rather do it within our pressure. If we can create 14, 15, 16 turnovers, and have 10 or less ourselves, you like to think you’ll come out on top. So, yes, we did a good job of taking care of the ball.”
Barron hit a trey to pull Harrison Central to within seven points, 64-57, but the Bobcats were 9 of 10 from the foul line in the final 1:48 to seal the deal.
Vance scored 22 points to lead PCS, and Crowder added 15 points for the Bobcats. Junior Shaun Murray scored 10 points as the only other player in double figures for Harrison Central.
In the girls game earlier, Harrison Central used its advantages in height and depth to hold off MAIS powerhouse Presbyterian Christian 52-44.
The Red Rebels improved to 14-2 overall; PCS dropped to 15-5.
With a pair of 6-footers in the middle in freshman Saniyah Murray and senior Anaisha Carriere, HC had a distinct advantage in the paint over the smaller Bobcats, and the Red Rebels exploited that advantage whenever they could.
PCS was on the defensive from the outset, falling behind early 7-0. Freshman Jayla Carriere got a fast-break layup off a steal, Murray got inside for an uncontested layup, then sophomore Michelle Jackson swished a 3-point shot.
“We’re not going to face too many teams that have that kind of size,” said PCS coach Drew Smith. “But it’s not an excuse. We had plenty of opportunities to make plays, and we just didn’t do it.”
The Bobcats finally got things going behind their senior standout Addyson Sherer, who pretty much carried the load for PCS. Sherer drew a foul and converted both free throws, hit an eight-foot jump shot and added another foul shot to narrow the margin.
Harrison Central would regain the seven-point lead on three other occasions in the first quarter, but each time, the Bobcats rallied.
“They are big, and the girl in the middle, she’s very good,” said Sherer. “We tried to stop them inside as best we could.
“We’ve just got to work on our defense. That really killed us tonight, second-chance points, not boxing out and the turnovers. We didn’t handle the ball real well when they pressed us, and in our conference, they’re going to press us pretty good.”
Sherer had 10 points in the first quarter and 19 in the first half, but she was held to just five points in the second half. PCS committed 16 turnovers, which hurt its chances.
“We’ve got to have other people step up and make plays,” said Smith. “They didn’t want to do it, and it cost us for sure. We’ve got to be a more complete team than what we are right now if we’re going to do anything in January and February.”
Trailing 18-13 heading into the second quarter, Sherer got a steal that led to a fast-break layup and a foul, then swished a 3-ball to cap a 6-0 run that put the Bobcats ahead 19-18.
Pressure defense in the frontcourt helped, as PCS forced seven turnovers in the second period. However, the Bobcats committed six turnovers of their own, and the Red Rebels regained the momentum.
Anaisha Carriere had a layup to put HC back in front 20-19. Junior Alice Pennebaker nailed an 8-foot jumper to put PCS back in front, but Carriere stepped back for a 15-footer from the right baseline to put the Red Rebels ahead for good 22-21.
Harrison Central led 28-24 at halftime.
The Red Rebels led by as many as 10 points in the second half, but could never quite put PCS away. Jayla Carriere had nine of her 18 points in the second half, as the Red Rebels went back to the strategy of pounding the ball down low.
Sherer finished with a game-high 24 points, but she only made one field goal in the second half and did not score in the fourth quarter.
“In the second half, they started face-guarding me, so that kind of got to us, I think,” said Sherer. “They did a real good job of stopping me from getting the ball. That was a big part of it.
Jayla Carriere keyed an 8-4 surge for the Red Rebels, driving the lane for a layup, drawing a foul and converting the free throws, then nailed a 16-footer from the top of the key to put HC ahead 37-28.
PCS hung in there through the fourth quarter, and got as close as 45-38, but Carriere took an offensive rebound off a missed foul shot drained a 3-ball from the left wing with 1:51 to play that all but sealed the deal.
Anaisha and Jayla Carriere had 18 points each to lead Harrison Central, and Murray finished with 8 points. Pennebaker added 8 points for PCS.
“This game gives us a pretty good measuring stick about whether you can win your conference or not,” said Smith. “If we play like this, then we can’t. We’ve got to be tougher mentally, physically and every other way.
“So it was a good measuring stick for us today, and we failed.”
PCS will get another chance to proves itself against a top MHSAA team when the Bobcats travel to Picayune on Friday. After a non-district game at home against Clinton Christian Saturday, PCS opens District 1-6A play at home next Tuesday against undefeated MRA.
Prep Basketball Summaries
Tuesday at Rees Gymnasium
GIRLS
Harrison Central 52, Presbyterian Christian 44
HC 18 10 12 12 – 52
PCS 13 11 9 11 – 44
HARRISON CENTRAL (14-2): Anaisha Carriere 18, Michelle Jackson 3, Janire Miller 3, Saniyah Murray 8, Khania Brown 1, Jayla Carriere 18, Larissa Hubbard 1. FG 21-48 (3FG 5-16), FT 5-10 – 52.
PRESBYTERIAN CHRISTIAN (15-5): Karly Hunter 5, Phoebe Berry 4, Alice Pennebaker 8, Addyson Sherer 24, Olivia Gerald 1. FG 14-39 (3FG 1-8), FT 14-22 – 44
BOYS
Presbyterian Christian 74, Harrison Central 59
HC 16 11 17 15 – 59
PCS 14 21 12 27 – 74
HARRISON CENTRAL (11-7): Aujaylen Barron 26, Nehemiah Barnett 3, Shaun Murray 10, Mickey Ducksworth 2, Jordan Miller 3, Jashun McMillian 4, Devonnie Bailey 2, Jonathan Pace 8. FG 26-60 (3FG 5-14), FT 2-7 – 59
PRESBYTERIAN CHRISTIAN (17-3): Reeves Williamson 5, Turner Vance 22, Jet Henderson 6, Brooks Roberts 6, Kristopher Booker 5, Cannon Crowder 15, Cave Pennebaker 9, Riley Walton 6. FG 24-60 (3FG 10-25), FT 16-18 – 74.
