McComb head coach Hilton Harrell likes how his team is coming together before district play begins next month.
He just wishes it didn’t have to be this dramatic, especially in a tournament.
Trevosity Ellzey sank a pair of free throws with 22 seconds to play and the McComb Tigers held on for a 52-47 victory over the Moss Point Tigers in the second round of the McComb Holiday Classic basketball tournament at the McComb gym.
McComb advances to the championship game at 7:30 tonight against Brookhaven.
“This is what it’s all about,” Harrell said. “We’re trying to find out before districts what roles all these kids are going to play.”
That revelation nearly cost McComb the lead, as the host Tigers struggled for much of the second half with Moss Point’s press defense.
In an attempt to further Moss Point’s foul trouble — the visitors had three players with at least three fouls entering the fourth quarter — McComb tried dribbling through the Moss Point defense, only to have the ball stolen away. McComb turned the ball over nine times in the second half, giving Moss Point several scoring opportunities.
“We knew they were in foul trouble,” Harrell said of the visiting Tigers. “I wanted us to get past the press — not dribble behind our backs, but push the ball downcourt.”
McComb extended its three-point halftime lead to as much as 33-24 in the third quarter when Cavellis Luckett fielded a pass from Michael Meyers in the left corner and knocked down a layup. Luckett finished with a team-high 16 points.
After Zarius Lacking’s 3-pointer from the left wing made it 39-31, the troubles began for McComb.
First, an errant pass was picked off by Moss Point forward Jeremy Causey, who was fouled on a missed shot from the left wing. Causey converted the two free throws to cut the deficit to 39-35.
After Moss Point failed to convert another McComb turnover into points, the visiting Tigers got a steal from guard Joseph Cunningham, who hit the layup in the paint to close the gap to 39-37 with 14 seconds to go in the third.
McComb’s saving grace in the third turned out to be Antonio Johnson, whose 3-pointer from the left corner pushed McComb’s lead back to five at 42-37.
“He’s taken the role (of coming off the bench),” Harrell said of Johnson, “and stepped it up the last four or five games. He’s made good passes and found open shots. He’s fundamentally sound.”
McComb continued to struggle with Moss Point’s press defense, turning the ball over on three off its first four possessions of the fourth quarter.
Fortunately for McComb, its visitors shot the ball about as well as the home team handled the press.
Moss Point missed opportunities on three separate possessions to cut into McComb’s lead. Much of its inability to draw closer was due to the defensive play of post player Tradarrius Holloway, who slapped away consecutive baseline shots from Causey.
Cunningham tried to keep Moss Point close, but he went cold as well, missing his next three shots. Forward Varion Little did follow one of Cunningham’s misses and hit the baseline lay-in to pull Moss Point to within 46-43.
But Moss Point missed four consecutive 3-pointers, and a runner in the lane hit off the front of the rim.
Luckett hit the front end of a one-and-one to send McComb’s lead to 48-43 with 3:10 to play. But Moss Point got a floater in the lane from Cunningham to make it 48-45.
After a McComb miss, Cunningham grabbed the defensive rebound and was fouled with 1:50 to play. After a McComb timeout, Cunningham sank both free throws to close the gap to 48-47.
In an attempt to break Moss Point’s press, Lacking passed to Luckett along the Moss Point baseline, only to have the ball trickle off Luckett’s fingers and out of bounds to the visitors.
Moss Point had a chance to take the lead, but Causey’s shot from the left baseline hit short off the side of the rim. Moss Point missed its final three shots.
Holloway added 10 points and Ellzey 9 for McComb.
Brookhaven 62, South Pike 49
The Brookhaven Panthers opened the game with a 10-0 run and went on to an easy win over the South Pike Eagles at the McComb Holiday Classic on Tuesday.
Brookhaven (11-2) will face McComb in the boys’ championship at 7:30 tonight.
“That was the biggest team we’ve faced this year,” South Pike head coach Joe Taylor said of the Panthers’ front court, all of which stood at least 6-foot-3.
The Panthers led 21-8 after the first quarter and held a 31-15 halftime advantage.
Deangelo Coleman scored 13 points in the game to lead South Pike (6-5). Brison Robintine and Devontae Cook chipped in 8 points apiece.
