The problem this season for the Parklane Academy Pioneers hasn’t been finishing games. Just getting started on a positive note has been the ailment.
The Pioneers found themselves in another early hole and fell to the Copiah Academy Colonels 58-46 Tuesday night at Parklane Academy.
The loss kept Parklane (6-14 overall, 0-9 in Mississippi Association Independent Schools District I-AAA South) winless in district play.
Not even a 37-26 second-half advantage was enough to rally Parklane, which found itself behind 32-9 at halftime.
“We were ice cold in the first half,” said head coach Ricky Gray, whose Pioneers missed 15 consecutive shots after scoring the game’s opening basket. After Bryce Bean’s driving layup off the left wing made it 2-0, Parklane’s only other first-quarter points came off three Zach Stutzman free throws. Copiah led 17-5 after the opening period.
The Pioneers’ cold streak continued in the second quarter, which began like the first. Tyler Stutzman’s right baseline bank shot pulled the Pioneers to within 17-7. From there, however, Parklane’s next 10 possessions ended in six missed shots and four turnovers. Zach Stutzman finally ended the dry spell when he hit a driving layup through the lane off Spencer Remley’s assist with 53.6 seconds before halftime to make it 30-9.
Gray said his tired Pioneers had the opportunity to rest and reflect at the half.
“We missed five point-blank shots in the first quarter,” he said. “So at halftime we let them think about what was going on.”
The quiet time worked.
Trailing by 23 to open the second half, the Pioneers’ pressing defense forced Copiah into mistakes. The Colonels made just one of their first six shots with three turnovers in the first five minutes of the third period.
Parklane, meanwhile, caught fire. Remley dropped in the first of his three 3-pointers to pull the Pioneers to within 37-18.
After a Taylor Smith free throw, Justin Brent stole a Copiah pass and hit the breakaway layup to make it 37-21. Still, the Colonels maintained a 48-27 lead after three periods when it was ruled that Brent’s half-court 3-pointer left his hand after the third-quarter buzzer.
The Pioneers continued to battle in the fourth quarter. Brent knocked down a 3-pointer from the left corner to trim the deficit to 48-32. Seth Travis’ steal and subsequent layup, followed by consecutive Remley 3-pointers, sliced the Copiah lead to 50-40 with 5:04 to play.
But Copiah maintained its 10-point cushion until baskets from Michael Begley and Ty Quick pushed the Colonels’ lead back to 54-40 with 3:02 remaining. The Pioneers never threatened again.
Despite the loss, Parklane’s second-half rally gave Gray hope prior to Friday’s game at Oak Forest and the opening round of the playoffs next Tuesday against Jackson Academy at Jackson Prep.
“The long year has taken its toll. We’ve got to find some legs,” Gray said. “Our second-half team is a good team. We’ve got to put forth four quarters of that same effort. If that team shows up, we’ve got a chance.”
