March 3, 2008

Tide tames Tigers 57-48

by Carey Meitzler

Jackson, MS--The Picayune Maroon Tide used a tenacious team defense in defeating Moss Point 57-48 to advance to the

Class 4A Boys State Championship. Picayune, the South State Champion, held off the Tigers, the South's three seed, with

steady play from their senior laden team especially Ben Daly, Chris Dees, and Brandon Fortenberry.

Dees scored the first four points of the game for Picayune on a put back of a missed shot and a short jumper. David McClain,

who hit two well-timed three pointers in the game, dropped in one of them with 3:13 left in the quarter for a 7-2 lead. After an

old-fashioned three point play by Moss Point's Avery Ingram, Ben Daly tipped in missed shot for a 9-5 lead with 2:01 left. 

Fortenberry scored on a lay up and converted the free throw for a 12-9 lead with :10 left. Moss Point got a free throw from

Travis Rasco with :00.1 left to make it 12-10.

Dees repeated his earlier feat by scoring on assists from Fortenberry and McClain to start the second quarter and gave Picayune

a 16-10 lead. Moss Point went on a 7-0 run to take their only lead of the game at 17-16 with 5:25 left. Dees put the Maroon

Tide back on top for good with a pair of free throws after being hammered while shooting a short jumper. Fortenberry scored

on consecutive lay ups and Travis Aubin's teardrop jumper from eight feet away gave Picayune a 24-17 lead with 1:50 left. 

After a Tiger free throw by Tremaine Elliott with :10 left, Picayune's Reshun Smith drove the length of the court, drove to the

left side of the lane and lofted a shot high off the backboard glass that hovered over Moss Point's 6' 7'' Travis Jackson and

dropped in the net as time expired to give the Maroon Tide a 26-18 halftime lead.

Photo by Carey Meitzler

 Chris Dees scores in the first quarter against Moss Point.

Fortenberry scored on a lay up to start the third quarter, and after a Moss Point bucket by Marlon Williams, Daly scored

on an assist from Fortenberry for a 30-20 lead. The Tigers chipped away and cut the lead to 36-32 on Travis Rasco's

two free throws with :13 left.

Picayune opened the fourth quarter on a well designed set play. Dees got a screen from McClain down on the baseline 

and scored on a lay up on an assist from Fortenberry. Ingram scored on a lay up for make it 38-34. On the Tide's next

possession, McClain stroked in his three ball from well behind the arc for a 41-34 lead with 6:40 left in the game. 

Williams scored for Moss Point to make 41-36, but that's as close as they would get as Picayune methodically pulled

away with good shot selection and stellar defense by Ben Daly.

Photo by Carey Meitzler

 Ben Daly (44) scores for Picayune to give the Maroon Tide a 30-20 lead in the third quarter.

While Daly continued to keep Moss Point's strong inside game of Jackson in check, Picayune got lay ups from

Justin Smith, Fortenberry, and Dees to lead 47-38 with 5:07 left, forcing a Moss Point timeout.

After the timeout, Fortenberry scored on a lay up and then on a put back of a missed shot for a 51-38 lead. 

Reshun Smith hit four free throws down the stretch for Picayune. 

Fortenberry had 18 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals to pace the Maroon Tide (33-4). Dees had 14 points

and pulled down 5 rebounds. Daly had 6 points and 7 rebounds and held Moss Point's Travis Jackson to just 9 points,

well below his season average. David McClain's two clutch three pointers netted him 6 points and Reshun Smith finished

with 6 points. 

Moss Point (31-6) got 9 points from Jackson and Ingram. Dandy Dozen selection Rasco finished with 5 points.

Picayune will play for the championship on Friday at 8:30pm against the winner of Tuesday afternoon's matchup between

New Hope and Ridgeland.