Magnolia took care of business by knocking off Hot Springs Lakeside during Senior Night Tuesday at Panther Arena.
Hundreds of fans, including family members of the seniors, watched as the local teams picked up a pair of conference victories.
The Panthers had no trouble pounding the Rams 64-27, while the Lady Panthers regrouped in the second half and won 54-45 over the Lady Rams.
"After not having a really good practice on Sunday, the kids responded well on Monday. Obviously tonight, I thought we had lots of energy," said Panthers' head coach Dyun Long.
The coach said it's nothing like playing at home.
"But when you make a few shots, it gives you some extra energy," he said.
Long said he was proud of his team's focus against someone who is not very good this season.
"I've been where Lakeside's coach is now. He does a good job, but they are not as athletic this season," stated Long.
After a conventional three-point play at the start by Trey Davis, the game was never in doubt.
The Panthers reeled off 21 unanswered points, including 3-pointers by Davis and Mykosky Jones.
Greg Martin and Malik Jones were also in on the scoring frenzy as the Panthers led 21-0 with under a minute to play in the opening quarter.
The Rams managed to score, but the Panthers were up 24-3 at the buzzer.
The second period also belonged to the Panthers as they led 42-11 at the half and the third-quarter score was 69-18.
During limited time on the court, Martin and Davis led the Panthers with 12 points apiece, while Jones finished with 11.
"I thought Greg started shooting the ball well again and Trey played well. Kadyn Roach did a good job of getting the ball to the rim and making free throws," said Long. "Everybody contributing is what we must have."
Long said a total team effort is needed to be successful.
"I know there are going to be some bad nights, but the effort has been there. Who knows what will happen if we can get a little rhythm and feel good about ourselves," he said.
The Panthers will close the regular season at home Friday night against the El Dorado Wildcats.
"We are going to keep working hard and see what happens," stated Long.
Lady Panthers 54,
Lady Rams 45
A strong third quarter lifted Donnell Ford's Lady Panthers to victory.
"I wanted them to take one play at a time and not rush. We had some good looks in the first half, but were not releasing the ball like I knew we could," said the coach.
At half-time, Ford said he told his players they were going to get the same shots in the second half and have to make them.
"They did and our defensive intensity picked up," he said.
The Lady Panthers managed only two points during the first six minutes and found themselves trailing 8-4 when the quarter ended.
They took their first lead early in the second period, but the game was tied 12-12 at the midway point.
Lakeside used a 9-0 run late in the half and carried a 25-16 advantage into the locker-room.
The Lady Panthers opened the third period on a 12-0 run, sparked by back-to-back 3-pointers from Kendall McMahen.
Lillie Moore and Kisi Young were also in on the scoring as Magnolia led 28-24 with 5:16 on the clock.
The Lady Panthers continued the good play and led 38-30 when the quarter ended.
Magnolia led by 11 in the final quarter and settled for the nine-point victory.
Young led in scoring with 20 and Moore finished with 19.
"When our shots started falling, I felt Lakeside got a little tired because their shots began to fall short," said Ford.
The coach said he feels when the Lady Panthers don't beat themselves or turn the ball over, they are one of the better teams in the league.
"We are not very good when we rush shots, throw the ball way and give good teams opportunities to score," he mentioned.
Ford said he was very grateful for the parents and their support of the Lady Panthers during this basketball season.
"I appreciate the fans for all they do. This is a great group of kids for my first year," he said.
The Lady Panthers will close the regular season at home Friday against El Dorado and compete in next week's 5A-South District Tournament at Watson Chapel in Pine Bluff.