A 10-0 run to start the second period lifted fourth-ranked Magnolia to an 80-59 win over Nashville Tuesday night at Panther Arena.
"Any win in conference play is a good win, whether it's pretty or ugly," said Magnolia head coach Ben Lindsey, whoses Panthers improved to 14-1 overall and 7-0 in 4A-7 Conference play.
The coach said his Panthers' execution could've been better at times, but added the thing that matters the most is getting another victory. MHS will open second round league play at home Friday night against Arkadelphia, who they beat 62-54 on Jan. 3.
According to Lindsey, the Scrappers came out with a man-to-man defense which may have surprised his team a little.
"We hadn't seen man-to-man in so long, but that's what we prefer to play against. I believe it took a little while for us to get in rhythm to it," he stated.
The Scrappers took an early 2-0 advantage, but back-to-back buckets by Nevi Tell put the Panthers on top. Magnolia extended that lead to 16-7 at the midway point and led 19-12 at the buzzer.
The 10-0 run to start the second quarter gave Magnolia control of the game. Amare Roach had the first six points, while Tell later knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to help the Panthers lead 39-24 at the half.
After leading 56-38 after three periods, the Panthers started the final quarter with a 6-0 spurt and led by 21 points with four minutes to play.
Four Panthers scored in double figures, led by Tell with 17 and Roach followed with 16. Post player Roderick Williams Jr. provided 13 and Ahmad Davis contributed 11, both off the bench. Starter Rodreous Young had nine.
Lindsey said his team got a little careless on defense at times, but did put up a lot of points that were sparked by defense.
"Arkadelphia is a team that plays hard and guards well. I expect them to come in here and try to punch us in the mouth," he mentioned.
Lady Scrappers 85,
Lady Panthers 38
Defending Class 4A State Champion Nashville knocked down 15 3-pointers while beating Magnolia by 47 points. They led by as much as 55 during the game that featured two teams unbeaten in 4A-7 Conference play.
The Lady Panthers slipped to 12-4 overall and 6-1 in league action, while the second-ranked Scrappers moved to 7-0 in conference and 17-3 on the season, stretching their winning streak to 10 games.
Nashville raced out to a 15-0 lead during the first five minutes and was up 17-2 with a minute left in the opening quarter. Their full-court pressure, quickness and outside shooting helped them lead 19-4 after the first break.
A 12-0 run to start the second quarter made it 31-4 and the Lady Scrappers led 52-9 at halftime following a pair of 3-pointers.
Magnolia's Kishaliya Doss, who was held scoreless in the first half, manage to get eight points in the third quarter. But Nashville was still able to stretch its lead to 55 points, 75-20, late in the period.
Lady Scrappers reserves continued to hit 3-p0inters during the final eight minutes.
The Lady Panthers, who beat the Arkadelphia Badgers 75-72 in a thriller on Jan. 3, will host them at 6 p.m. Friday inside Panther Arena.