Dedrea Magee takes over in Lady Tide

win over Hancock; Maroon Tide falls

by Carey Meitzler

Lady Tide 41 Hancock 31

After winning a hard fought division game on Friday night, the Lady

Tide looked lethargic in the early moments against Hancock in the Hoops

Fest at Bert Jenkins Gymnasium in Gulfport.  But Picayune, behind

22 second half points from Dedrea Magee, overtook the Lady Hawks

for a 41-31 win, their third of the season over Hancock..

Hancock led early by 15-7 at the end of the first quarter and appeard

to be in control with a 24-17 at the half.  But the second half was all

Dedrea Magee.

While Picayune's defense was holding the Lady Hawks to just two

Jordan Merants free throws in the third quarter,  Magee scored the

first five points of the quarter and dished out an assist on a short

jumper by Jamelle Clark to bring the Lady Tide to within a bucket

at 26-24.  Magee then scored a layup on an assist from Clark with

:57 seconds left to tie the game at 26-26.

Magee, who played the entire game with a high fever, scored the

first 10 points of the fourth quarter to put the Lady Tide up 36-26. 

Picayune's defense held Hancock scoreless until 2:42 left in the

quarter when Shondreka Lee scored on a layup.  Magee made 5

of 6 free throws in the last :31 of the game to keep the Lady Hawks

at bay.

Molly Nunez would get Hancock's last points on a 3 pointer

with :11 left.

Magee finished with 35 points and Clark had the Lady Tide's

other 6 points while pulling down 11 rebounds.

Jordan Merants, Emma Craft, and Randa Lee finished with 7

points each for Hancock, now 16-6 on the season.

Picayune (18-2, 7-0) will be at home on Tuesday against Bay

High in division 8-4A action.

Pascagoula 40  Maroon Tide 38
Despite cold shooting for most of the game, Picayune nearly

pulled out a win against Pascagoula in the Hoops Fest at

Gulfport's Bert Jenkins Gynasium, but in the end, the Panthers

would prevail with a 40-38 win.

Picayune led 10-7 after one quarter as Chris Griffith and

Chazz Hawkins each tallied 5 points.  Lekendrick Longmire

scored on a layup with :01 left to make 24-24 at the half. 

Longmire scored 13 points in the first half.

Picayune trailed 30-27 late in the third quarter, but

Pascagoula got consecutive 3 point goals from Adrian

Magee and Longmire to lead 36-27 at the end of the quarter.

Josh Johnson converted two free throws to put Pascagoula

up 40-29 with 4:03 left in the game.  Picayune, behind a

tenacious full court press, came roaring back on a Randy

Perkins 3 pointer, a Hawkins layup, and two more Perkins

layups to make it 40-38 with 2:45 left.  Picayune had a

chance to tie the game with 2:28 left, but missed two free

throws.

The Maroon Tide had one last chance with :06 left, but

was unable to get off a final shot before the buzzer.

Picayune (17-3, 8-0) was led by Perkins with 15 points

and Hawkins chipped in 9 points.

Longmire led all scorers with 21 points.  The win upped

the Panthers overall record to 13-5 on the season.

Picayune will be at home on Tuesday against Bay

High in division 8-4A action.