North Pike coach Keith Russ is still searching for a complete effort from his team.
In the meantime, he’ll take whatever he can get.
North Pike rallied back from a 49-40 fourth-quarter deficit to stun Brookhaven with a 57-55 home win Friday night.
Junior guard Devin Abram drained two free throws with 5.7 seconds left, and North Pike’s defense held its ground on a final shot at the buzzer to complete the comeback.
“They were big. Give a lot of credit to Devin,” Russ said. “He stepped up big when we needed him. I always tell them, free throws are the key to winning. We finally stepped up and made them when they counted.”
North Pike entered the final seconds just 5 of 19 from the charity stripe and finished 7 of 21, but the Jaguars made them when needed.
North Pike tied things up at 55 when LaDarrius Coney bulled his way to the basket with 36.2 seconds remaining. He missed the ensuing free throw but Brookhaven missed a jumper with 17 seconds left and gave the Jaguars a shot on the final possession.
“I’m very proud,” Russ said. “They could have easily folded, but they stepped up.”
The game was evenly matched on both sides. Each team had 36 rebounds and shot 38 percent, but Brookhaven led most of the game, using a strong first half to earn a 34-24 lead at the break.
After a woeful first half, North Pike turned up the intensity and forced 18 turnovers to rally.
“Well, I’m trying to figure that out right now,” Russ said. “Right now, we still haven’t put four quarters together.”
North Pike used an 11-0 run to take a 39-37 lead with 3:30 to play in the third quarter, but Brookhaven immediately answered with a 10-0 run of its own during the next two minutes for a 47-39 lead.
A 3-point play by Abram with 5:00 to play helped cap a 7-2 run and cut the lead to 51-47.
Abram finished with 10 points, while Coney and Xavius Turner had a team-high 13 points each.
“We were playing them soft in the first half but we made a few adjustments and we started giving a lot better effort in the second half,” Russ said. “… The defensive pressure helped us get steals and easy layups.”
Brookhaven’s Ryan Thibodeaux had 16 points and 13 rebounds but was only 4 of 11 from the free-throw line.
Lady Jags roll by Brookhaven
North Pike’s girls basketball team learned the wonders of ball movement Friday night against Brookhaven.
The Lady Jaguars’ offense ran smoothly in the first half and the defense held off the Lady Panthers in the second half for a 52-38 win.
“We knew coming into the ball game how big they were inside,” North Pike coach Lance Golmon said. “It was going to be a key for us to make some outside shots to spread that defense out.”
Tatyana Turned and Rickera Martin both finished with a game-high 18 points and Zana McCray overcame the height differential inside to register eight points and six rebounds.
Brookhaven started out in a man-to-man defense, then switched to a 2-3 zone when North Pike made a string of 3-pointers. Brookhaven eventually settled back into man, but the lead was too much to overcome.
“I thought that created some angles for us to make some passes,” Golmon said.
Turner started out red-hot for North Pike, scoring the team’s first nine points. The Lady Jaguars took a 31-18 advantage into halftime and were only tested once in the second half.
Brookhaven scored two quick baskets with 7:08 left in the game to make it 39-33. North Pike clamped down over the next seven minutes and allowed just two more scores.
“I can’t tell you how in the last eight quarters together how great defensively we’ve played,” Golmon said. “They bought in to what we’re trying to do.”
Nicole Jefferson was active the entire game and finished with three points, 17 rebounds and six steals.
Fredericka Fairman led Brookhaven with 10 points and 14 rebounds.
North Pike travels to Wilkinson County for a non-league game next Friday.
natchez no match for mccomb
Freshman Antonio Cowart registered a season-high 18 points Friday night to lead McComb past Natchez, 75-61, in a boys non-league contest.
Cowart added six assists, five rebounds and three blocks for the Tigers, who improve to 8-3.
McComb jumped out to a 22-6 lead after the first quarter and cruised to a 22-point lead at halftime. Coach Hilton Harrell pulled his starters in the third quarter with the game in hand.
Forward Stacey Mack also had 18 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
LeDerrius Simmons and Antonio Johnson both chipped in with 10 points and Shemar Williams added nine points.
McComb plays Tuesday at home against Franklin County.
South Pike drops to 1-10
The South Pike boys basketball team dropped to 1-10 on Friday night with a 43-40 loss at Franklin County.
Derrick Horton and Dantavious Andrews led the Eagles with 10 points each. Monte Martin chipped in with eight points.
The South Pike girls also fell to Franklin County earlier Friday in a 45-42 loss.
South Pike is off Tuesday and plays next Friday at home against Crystal Springs.
