December 13, 2007

Lady Tide & Maroon Tide get wins at Long Beach

by Carey Meitzler

Long Beach--Both the Lady Tide and Maroon Tide rallied on numerous occasions to gain Region 8-4A road wins over before

a packed house at Long Beach.

Lady Tide 57  Long Beach 52

The Lady Tide led 17-10 after one quarter and 29-28 at the half, but Long Beach rallied to take a 43-41 lead with 1:05 left in

the third quarter.   However, Monique Brown opened the fourth quarter scoring the first six points to put Picayune up 48-43. 

Long Beach cut the score to 48-45 with 5:51 left in the game, but the Lady Tide got a three pointer from Ebony Jones and a

layup from Brown on a putback of a missed Picayune free throw with 4:33 left to lead 53-47.  Just twenty seconds later Jones

scored on a layup to put the Lady Tide up 55-47.  Picayune got a layup from Janea Wills with :11 left to seal the win.

Brown poured in 28 points while Autumn Jackson added 9 points and 8 rebounds.  Karly Moran had 8 points and Jones finished

with 7 points for the Lady Tide (8-5, 1-1).  The Lady Tide will be at Bay High on Tuesday in another Region 8-4A encounter.

All photos by Carey Meitzler

Autumn Jackson (24) makes a pass to Ebony Jones (20).

Maroon Tide 69   Long Beach 68

The Maroon Tide overcame a 40 point effort by Long Beach's Salvaleace Townsend to remain unbeaten in Region 8-4A

holding on for a 69-68 victory.

Picayune jumped out to an early 14-4 lead, but Long Beach cut it to 15-13.   Picayune's Brandon Fortenberry ended

the quarter on a spine-tingling, one-handed dunk.

Picayune built a 25-17 lead with 3:10 left in the second quarter, but Long Beach cut it to 25-23 on a Townsend jumper

with :23 left. Justin Smith scored on layup on an assist from Chris Dees with :09 left to put the Maroon Tide up 27-23

at the break.

Long Beach took a 32-31 lead with 5:30 left in the third quarter on Jeremy Hill's three pointer.  The Bearcats would

build a 41-34 lead before Ben Daly and Fortenberry brought the Maroon Tide back.   Fortenberry drove the length of

the court after grabbing a defensive rebound and scored on a twisting drive to the basket while being fouled.  He completed

the three point play to make it 41-37 with 1:36 left.  Daly then scored on an assist from Fortenberry, who put Picayune on

top 42-41 by hitting a three pointer with :40 left.   Daly scored again, this time on an assist from Reshun Smith, to give the

Maroon Tide a 44-41 lead at the end of the quarter.

Daly scored the first two buckets for Picayune in the fourth while Long Beach got two free throws from Jordan Evans

that made it 48-43 with 6:58 left.  Townsend hit four straight free throws after being fouled on consecutive possessions

to make it 48-47 with 6:03 left.  Fortenberry pulled off another old fashioned three point play on a layup with 5:39 left to

give Picayune a 51-47 lead.

After Daly forced a jump ball on the other end of the court that gave the ball back to Picayune, Dees scored by rebounding

his own miss to make it 53-47.  Jeremy Hill hit one of two free throws for Long Beach with 4:26 left.  Dees then scored on

a soft jumper from six feet away with 4:27 left for a 55-48 lead.  Hill responded with a bucket and Long Beach called timeout

with 3:52 left.   After the time out, Dees scored again for a 57-50 lead.  

Ben Daly (44) scores two of his 17 points as Justin Smith (10) and Brandon

Fortenberry (4) look on.

Townsend hit two more free throws and stole the ball and scored on a layup to make it 57-54.  Picayune's Travis

Aubin was fouled and made both free throws.  After Jordan scored for the Bearcats, Dees made one of two free

throws to give the Maroon Tide a 60-56 lead with 2:34 left.  Townsend scored again to make it 60-58.  Fortenberry

made one of two free throws for a 61-58 lead with 2:20 left.

Jordan hit two free throws with 2:18 left and Townsend gave Long Beach a 62-61 lead with two more free throws

with 2:07 left.  Justin Smith scored on a lay up with Fortenberry providing the assist from near half court and then

Smith scored again on a short jumper with Aubin on the assist to give Picayune a 65-62 lead.  Long Beach pulled to

within one point on two free throws by Stacey Smith with 1:22 left.

Picayune then got single free throws from Smith and Aubin as they both made one of two attempts.  Trailing 67-64

with :30 left, Townsend scored on a driving layup to make it 67-66. 

Ben Daly (44) stretches for a rebound.

After the Bearcats called time out, Dees was fouled and calmly sank both free throws with :28 left to make

it 69-68.  Townsend scored again to cut the Maroon Tide lead to 69-68 with :05 left.  Long Beach got the

ball back as Picayune threw it away on the inbounds pass.  Picayune was called for a foul sending Dimitry

Smith to the free throw line.  He missed both free throws and Picayune held on for the win.

Townsend's 40 point effort was supported by Jeremy Hill's 14 points.

Daly paced Picayune (10-0, 3-0) with 17 points and 7 rebounds.  Fortenberry had 16 points, 5 rebounds,

and 5 assists.  Justin Smith tossed in 13 points and Chris Dees had 12 points.

Picayune will play in the War on the Shore (at St Stanislaus) on Saturday against Northeast Lauderdale

at 6:50pm.

Coach Daniel Kennedy (kneeling) makes a point to his team during a timeout at Long Beach.