Tide rises to overtake Long Beach 54-40

by Carey Meitzler

Long Beach--The Picayune Maroon Tide looked to be in deep trouble trailing by eight points at the half to homestanding Long

Beach, but the Maroon Tide rose up with a big third quarter to overtake the Bearcats 54-40. The win allowed Picayune to stay

atop the Region 8-4A standings with a 7-2 mark.

Picayune trailed the entire first quarter, but with :01 left Chris Dees dropped in a lay up on a perfect pass from Brandon

Fortenberry.  The tying basket was set up by a Dees' blocked shot on defense that landed in Fortenberry's hands who quickly

lofted the ball down down the court to allow Dees to tie the game.

Brandon Fortenberry lays in a shot during the Tide's third quarter rally and Chris Dees gives Picayune their first lead at 31-30.

Long Beach opened the second stanza with a 6-0 run before Fortenberry scored to make it 16-12 with 5:35 left.  Long Beach

got a basket from Micah McNally and a three point play from Jeremy Hill to push the lead to 21-12 with 4:54 left.  At this point,

Picayune's Coach Daniel Kennedy sat down his starters and brought in five players from the bench to finish the half.  The substitutes

got four points from Jessie Ulmer and a bucket from Shun Smith.  The halftime score was 26-18 with Long Beach on top.

When the starting five returned for the Tide to start the third quarter, they came out on fire.  Ben Daly scored on an assist from

Wayne Mickel and Dees scored on an assist from Fortenberry and Picayune was within four at 26-22 with 6:08 left.  After

a Long Beach time out, they got a short jumper from McNally, but Picayune countered with a score from Fortenberry and

Mickel pulled the Tide to within one point at 28-27 with a lay up and added a free throw after being fouled on the made shot.

Hill scored for Long Beach to make it 30-27 with 4:25 left, but Fortenberry scored on a put back of a missed shot and then

Dees gave Picayune its first lead at 31-30 with 2:30 left.  Picayune finished the quarter with three straight buckets from Dees,

David McClain, and Ben Daly to lead 37-30 at the end of the quarter.

Wayne Mickel is fouled on his lay up in the third quarter.

Picayune opened the fourth quarter with a Fortenberry lay up that was answered by a basket by Long Beach's

Salvalace Townsend. Wayne Mickel sank two free throws after being fouled and then added another lay up,

both coming off steals by Mickel. Hill scored to make it 43-34, but Picayune then went on a 6-0 fueled by a

two handed dunk by Dees on an assist from Mickel to lead by 15 points at 49-34 with 2:08 left.

Ben Daly (44) scores as the Maroon Tide coaches look on in the fourth quarter.

Picayune (20-3, 7-2) was led by Dees with 18 points and six rebounds and Fortenberry had 12 points. 

Wayne Mickel finished with 7 points, 4 steals, and 5 assists that ignited the Tide comeback. Ben Daly

had 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots.

Townsend finished with 13 points and Hill tallied 10 points for Long Beach (12-10, 4-5).