January 22, 2008

Picayune pulls away from Bay 62-51

Bay squeeks by Lady Tide 51-49

by Carey Meitzler

Picayune got their 20th win of the season with a hard fought 62-51 victory over the Bay High Tigers at Kelly Wise Memorial.

After spotting Picayune an early 7-0 lead, Bay tied the game at 11-11 with under a minute left in the first quarter.  Chris Dees

was fouled and made both free throws with :03 left for a 13-11 lead.

Bay played Picayune almost basket for basket and tied the game at 21-21 on Daron Bell's short jumper with :17 left. 

David McClain gave Picayune a 23-21 halftime lead when he scored off a rebound of a missed shot with :06 on the clock.

Picayune's Brandon Fortenberry and Chris Dees ignited the Maroon Tide in the third quarter.  Dees' dunk off a Fortenberry

assist pushed the Maroon Tide ahead 29-23.  Dees scored again on a put back for a 32-25 lead with 5:15 left.  Fortenberry

scored on a layup with 4:48 left for a 34-29 lead and then hit three consecutive three pointers and ended the quarter on an

assist to Justin Smith for a 49-41 lead. 

Travis Aubin (14) cranks up a jumper over Bay's Dimitry Johnson.

Midway through the fourth quarter, Fortenberry added another three pointer and then an old fashioned three point play

to put Picayune up 58-48 with 3:35 left in the game.

Fortenberry finished with 23 points, 20 coming in the second half.  He also snatched 6 rebounds and handed out 5 assists.

Dees had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Justin Smith added 9 points for Picayune (20-3, 10-0).

Shaquille Lewis led Bay High (12-13, 4-5) with 13 points while Dimitry Johnson and Daron Bell each tallied 10 points.

Chris Dees (15) scores off an offensive rebound as Ben Daly (44) moves toward the goal.

Reshun Smith (5) releases a jump shot against Bay High.

Bay High 51  Lady Tide 49

Picayune jumped out early on the Lady Tigers, but Bay finished strong to overtake the Lady Tide 51-49.

Picayune led early by a score of 10-0 over the Region 8-4A front runners and 14-5 at the end of the quarter.

The Lady Tide was up 27-23 at the half, but Bay took the lead at 29-27 with 5:20 left in the third quarter on a jumper by

Crystal Hawkins.  Monique Brown tied it at 29-29 and again at 31-31 scoring off an offensive rebounds both times.

Shoronda Jackson hit two free throws with :05 left to make it 35-35.

Karly Moran (12) leaps to knock away a Bay High pass.

Picayune built a five point lead at 40-35 on Karly Moran's three point play with 6:04 left.  An Autumn Jackson free throw

put Picayune up 41-35 with 4:40 to play.  But Bay rallied and took the lead at 45-44 with 1:45 to play on Aaliyah Williamson's

short jumper.  After a layup by Bay's Krisitan Lyons, Ebony Jones brought Picayune to within one at 47-46 on two free throws

with 1:19 left.

Ebony Jones (left) brings the ball up the court against Bay High.

Bay stretched the lead to 50-46 on a free throw from Victoria Lusco with :16 left.  Hillary Dickens scored to make it 50-48

with :07 left.  Busco hit one of two free throws again to make it 51-48.  Lauren Burks made one of two free throws with

:03 left.

Brown led the Lady Tide (11-10, 2-6) with 18 points and Karly Moran had 10 points.  Jones finished with 9 points.

Bay High (15-6, 6-1) got 20 points from Williamson and Lyons tallied 10 points.