Gentry halts Picayune's magical run 60-47

by Carey Meitzler

The Picayune Maroon Tide's magical run to the Big House ended with

a 60-47 loss to the Indianola Gentry Rams mainly due to Gentry's 5'-5"

guard Straddick McDaniel's impersonation of Jeopardy's Alex Trebeck. 

McDaniel, who earlier in the week beat Terry with a last second lay up,

seemed to have all the answers in this game as he thwarted Picayune's

comeback efforts throughout the game.

Picayune jumped out to a 5-0 lead behind two Randy Perkins free throws

and a 3 point basket from Chazz Hawkins.  Gentry answered with a

jumper from Jestonia Kimber and two 3 pointers from McDaniel to

lead 8-7 with 3:15 left in the quarter. The Maroon Tide came back to

lead at the end of the quarter when Hawkins drained another 3 pointer

to make it 10-9.

Gentry (34-4) opened the second quarter deploying a half court trap

defense that pulled the Maroon Tide into a rhythm that played right into

the hands of the athletic Rams and resulted in a 12-2 run ignited by

McDaniel who handed out 4 assists during the spurt.

Drummond Jones, a 6-4 post player, had 8 points and Kimber converted

two 3 pointers to build a 27-17 half time lead.

Trailing 31-19 early in the third quarter, Picayune's Chazz Hawkins hit

another 3 pointer and Perkins scored on a lay up to bring Picayune to

within seven points at 31-24, but McDaniel drove the lane, dished the

ball to Jones who converted an old fashioned 3 point play with a lay up

and subsequent free throw to push the lead back to ten at 34-24 with

3:30 to play.

Picayune closed to within 34-29 behind a Alan Moran 3 pointer and

two free throws from Darionne Jones, but McDaniel answered with a

lay up and a free throw for a 3 point play and then handed out one of

his game high 10 assists to Xaiver Yarbor to push the lead to 39-29. 

With 1:01 left in the quarter, the Maroon Tide's Darionne Jones grabbed

an errant Ram's pass and went coast to coast for a lay up to cut the lead

to 39-31 after three quarters.

During the fourth quarter, Picayune would cut the lead to 41-35 on a lay

up by Clydell Jones with just under five minutes left.

But McDaniel answered moments later with a drive in the lane and another

assist to Drummond Jones for a lay up and a 43-35 lead with 4:18 to play.

Perkins converted a 3 point play with a lay up and free throw to make it

43-38 with 3:43 left.  McDaniel responded by converting two free throws

to push it back to 45-38.

With 3:22 left, Picayune cut the lead to five points at 45-40 on two Alan

Moran free throws, but the Maroon Tide could get no closer as McDaniel

made 7 of 8 free throws in the last two minutes to propel Gentry to the win.

Picayune's Coach Dean Shaw was impressed with McDaniel and the Rams.

"He's a really, really good player. I thought we did a good job in the first quarter,

but dug a hole for ourselves in the second quarter and couldn't get out of it.

They (Gentry) had a lot to do with it.  They're a mighty fine basketball team."

McDaniel finished with 20 points and Drummond Jones added 15 points. 

Kimber tallied 10 points. 

Perkins led Picayune (27-6) with 15 points and Hawkins had 9 points from

his three pointers.  Clydell Jones and Darionne Jones each tallied 8 points

for Picayune.  Moran finished with 5 points and Brandon Fortenberry had

2 points.

Gentry will play the winner of Jackson Lanier and New Hope on Thursday,

March 9th for the Class 4A championship.