NP Cougars boys battle 6A Hernando for the win

By Myra Bean
The North Panola Cougars and Hernando Tiger boys put on junior varsity and varsity shows for the crowd Tuesday night.
The 3A North Panola varsity emerged the 49-43 victors in this contest against 6A Hernando.
In Jr. Varsity action, North Panola won on a last second basket, 29-27.
Hernando led 5-0 before Jermarcus Jones’ field goal with 6:32 in the first. The Cougars managed to tie the game at nine and at 11 with 1:56 left in the quarter.
Hernando scored first in the second quarter and the Cougars took the lead for the first time on a Phillip Mangrum three-pointer at 17-15 with 6:08 left in the half.
The teams exchanged leads a couple of times and the Cougars retied the game at 21 on a Jones field goal on an assist from Kenneth Jefferson with 2:24 left in the half. On an offensive rebound and put back Jones gave the Cougars back, the lead, 23-21, with 1:32 left in the half. The Cougars maintained the lead the rest of the game.
At the half, North Panola led 25-23 as Hernando scored with 10 seconds remaining.

Hernando tied the game at 25 on the first basket of the third quarter, then the Cougars mounted an eight-point run to take a 33-25 lead behind the three-point shooting of Jones and Ankerion Gross, who had one each.
The teams kept pounding away at each other, but the Cougars were able to keep the edge until the end. Hernando never got closer than five points.
Jones led the Cougars with 24 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Also scoring in double figures was Gross with 10 points, three rebounds and two steals. Other scorers include Mario Fenner, six points, Mangrum, five points, three steals; Jefferson and Demonte Sanders, one point each.
NPJV 29,
Hernando 27
With 1:06 left in the game, Hernando knotted the game at 27 on two free throws. North Panola turned the ball over on a traveling call with 1:02 left.
Canijah Jones tipped the ball and Eric Williams corralled it for the Cougars and was fouled. Williams missed both free throws and Hernando got the loose ball.
North Panola attempted a three-point shot but it fell short and then lost the rebound out of bounds.
Lucious Simmons stole the inbound ball from Hernando and scored the final point on a jump shot with 2.6 seconds remaining for the win.
North Panola held Hernando scoreless in the first quarter taking a 12-0 lead into the second quarter. In the second quarter, Hernando returned the favor holding North Panola scoreless and cutting the lead to 12-9 at halftime.
On a North Panola foul beyond the three-point line, Hernando sank three free throws to tie the game at 12 with 5:57 left in the third quarter.
Going into the fourth quarter, North Panola led 21-15.
With 6:31 left in the game, Hernando mounted a 6-0 run to the tie the game at 25 with 1:55 left in the game.
Kevon Nunelly led the Cougars with nine points, followed by Simmons with six. Other scorers include Jones and Herbert Thomas, four points each; Demonte Sanders and Stephen Edwards, two points each.
The Cougars will be back in action tonight to host Independence in the district opener beginning at 5 p.m.
They will host the I-55 Shootout tournament tomorrow.
The tournament will start at 2:30 p.m. with a girls’ game between Bolton and Rosa Fort followed by a boys’ game at 4 p.m. with Ruleville and Rosa Fort.
North Panola will play the last two games. The girls will play Ruleville at 5:30 p.m. followed by the boys against Pearl at 7 p.m.
Admission is $6.