North Panola boys head basketball coach Caleb Vaughn was anxious to see how his Cougars would respond a day after losing their first game of the season 83-57 to H.W. Byers as they took on Bayou Academy Tuesday (Nov. 23) in the North Delta Shootout Tournament.

Thanks to the 34-point effort of sharpshooting guard Cedquavious “Dey Dey” Hunter, the Cougars slipped past Bayou 59-49 to improve to 6-1 on the season. 

North Panola were slated to host Lafayette County onTuesday (Nov. 30) before opening up district play against Independence Friday at the Cougar Den in Sardis with tipoff slated for 6 p.m. in the girls game.

The Lady Cougars meanwhile opened up the first game of the tournament with a 89-57 loss to MAIS powerhouse Leake Academy.

Boys

NP 59

Bayou 49

North Panola fell behind early in the first quarter 10-4 before Aston Clay got the Cougar offence going with a three pointer to climb within two at 15-13 before Hunter banked in a tray to give the Cougars a 18-17 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Cougars gave themselves a little breathing room in the second quarter on back-to-back three pointers from Hunter and Jaqwan Gale that made the score 34-25. 

Hunter, a Cal-State Bakersfield signee, connected on a three-point play to give North Panola its largest lead of the day at 37-25 late in the first half.

Hunter then took over in the second half, scoring 18 points on eight-of-nine shooting at the freethrow line and was the only Cougar to hit a field goal in the second half. 

Bayou pulled to within seven points twice but could not get any closer as Dee Brown and Dykenyen Williams knocked out a pair of free throws in the fourth quarter. 

Brown followed Hunter in the scoring column with seven points while Gale supplied five.Ferenzo Cannon and Williams eached garnered four points as Clay finished with three points and Marterrion Renix chipped in with two.

Girls

Leake Aca. 89

NP 57

The Lady Cougars received a tough draw going against the No.1 ranked MAIS team. North Panola went toe-to-toe with the undefeated Lady Rebels in the first quarter thanks to the one-two punch of Jykeria Black and Tyrah Jones who combined for 16 of the North Panola points.

Leake took over in the second quarter and out-scored North Panola 32-18 to take a 51-34 lead at halftime. 

The Lady Rebels connected on 12-of-23 three pointers in the game. 

Jones paced North Panola with 21 points while Black followed with 20. Kireson Presley added five points with D’mya Williams tallied four. 

Ranya Simmons finished with three points and Denijha Fenner rounded out with two points.