| Sports
Highlights Icy shooting dooms
Panthers
Monitor Staff Reports
MABANK–Icy shooting by the hosting Mabank Panthers helped the
Ferris Yellowjackets stay near the top of the district standings
Friday night, as the Yellowjackets squeaked out a 55-53 win over
the Panthers.
Monitor Photo/Kerry Yancey
Mabank Panther Colton Thomas (white uniform) moves to block a
drive by Ferris Yellowjacket guard Joseph Pickett during the
first half of Ferris' narrow 55-53 win over the hosting Panthers
Friday.
Now 9-14 on the season, the Panthers finished the first round
of District 13-3A basketball play at 2-3, while the
Yellowjackets improved to 18-9 and 4-1 in district play.
Late Tuesday, The Monitor was informed the scheduled Kemp-Mabank
boys contest in Kemp would be postponed until 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Friday, Feb. 4, the Panthers are scheduled to visit Crandall
before returning home Tuesday, Feb. 8, for a key district
contest against North Forney. Each evening opens with 5 p.m.
sub-varsity games.
Mabank fans were dismayed to see the Panthers miss shot after
shot from point-blank range in the early going – not a good
sign, especially against an opponent as athletically talented as
the Yellowjackets.
That athleticism really started to show in the late stages of
the first quarter, when the Yellowjackets pulled out to an 18-12
lead.
Both teams clamped down on defense in the second quarter, with
the Panthers outscoring Ferris 8-5 to cut the Yellowjackets’
lead to just three points at halftime, 23-20.
In the third quarter, Ferris’ edge in athletic talent again
started to show, as the Yellowjackets started finding the range
from the arc.
Yellowjacket guard Trent Boykins scored eight of his 13 points
(two threes) in the quarter to help Ferris edge out to a
four-point lead, 37-33, going into the fourth quarter.
In the final frame, the Panthers outscored the Yellowjackets
20-18, but could not complete the comeback.
Hampered by fouls most of the game, Panther junior Jordan Allen
scored nine of his game-high 17 points in the fourth quarter
(hitting 5-of-7 at the free throw line) before fouling out,
while senior T.C. Greene scored six of his 13 points before
fouling out.
Ferris’ Joseph Pickett scored five of his team-high 16 points in
the fourth quarter before he fouled out.
In addition to Allen’s 17 and Green’s 13, the Panthers got nine
points (all in the second and third quarters off the bench) from
Colton Thomas, four from Ryan Walker, three (one trey) from
Tyler Peebles, two points each from Chans Hall, Chase Graham and
David Marler and a third-quarter free throw from Brandon
Hatfield.
Along with Pickett’s 16, Ferris got 13 from Boykins, seven
points from Landon Kosacek, six points from Connor Coulkins,
five from both Kyle Rogers and Jamarri Wells, and free throws
from Devonte Pryor, Roger Gamble and Robert Grady.
Earlier, the Panther junior varsity held off a furious
fourth-quarter comeback attempt to defeat the Ferris JV 67-64.
The Panthers built a four-point halftime lead, 30-24, behind
balanced scoring from seven different players, but blew open the
tight game with a 24-15 explosion in the third quarter
Taylor Willeford scored eight of his team-high 16 points (two
treys) in the period, while Garrett Graham scored eight of his
14 points during the run.
In the final frame, the Yellowjackets outscored the Panthers
23-13 to close within three points at the end of regulation.
The Panthers also got 13 points from Landon Marshall, eight from
Chris Newton and six from Garrett Holcomb.
Crandall sweeps Kemp girls
Monitor Staff Reports
CRANDALL–The hosting Crandall Lady Pirates outscored the Kemp
Lady Yellowjackets 25-9 in the middle two quarters to forge a
home-and-home sweep Friday night, winning 54-33.
Now 16-12 on the season and 3-4 in District 13-3A basketball
play, the Lady ’Jackets are tied with North Forney for the
district’s third-place playoff berth behind the unbeaten Lady
Pirates and the Mabank Lady Panthers, who improved to 6-1 in
district play by beating Ferris Friday night (see related photo
above).
Late Tuesday, The Monitor was informed the Tuesday night
Kemp-Mabank girls and boys contests were postponed until 5 p.m.
Wednesday.
Friday, the Lady ’Jackets are scheduled to visit North Forney
before returning home for “senior night” Tuesday, Feb. 8,
hosting Kaufman in the second-round and regular-season finale.
If the Lady ’Jackets can win all three games, they can clinch
the district’s third-place playoff berth outright, but they must
win two of the three (including the North Forney game) to force
a tie-breaking playoff game with the Lady Falcons.
Despite playing without senior Michelle Ritterbach (flu), the
Lady ’Jackets started strong Friday night, opening a 9-2 lead,
but saw their offense dwindle away to nothing against the Lady
Pirates’ relentless defensive pressure.
“Our shooting was non-existent in the second and third quarters,
only scoring five and four points, which led to the margin of
victory for Crandall,” Kemp coach Kent Smith noted later.
“Brianna Powell did a good job, considering she was playing
through the flu, although it did affect her shooting, as she
only hit 3-of-12 from the field (two threes),” Smith said.
“Overall, the shooting was absent – we only shot 8-of-26, about
half of what we normally take.”
Falling behind, 14-11, in the first quarter, the Lady ’Jackets
trailed by 19 points, 39-20, going into the fourth quarter, and
lost by 21.
Powell led the Lady ’Jackets with 11 points, three rebounds, two
steals and two assists, with Jacque Cooper adding nine points,
but nobody else had more than three points.
Senior post Shannon Shipp had a strong defensive game inside,
notching seven rebounds and making four blocks.
“It was a disappointing game, considering we played so well in
the first quarter,” Smith said. “We had every chance to beat
them, but didn’t follow through.”
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