The Pascagoula Panthers and Lady Panthers basketball teams swept Long Beach on Friday night in Pascagoula as Region 4-6A play began.
The Lady Panthers were led by Massyah Thomas, who had 19 points as Pascagoula won going away 50-26.
Kelan Rich sparked Pascagoula in the boys game, a 76-44 victory. Rich came out blazing with 17 points in the first quarter, including three 3-pointers and a traditional 3-point play.
In the girls game, Thomas scored the first four points of the contest. Then after a basket and free throw by Kailyn Hyde, Pascagoula led 7-2.
A 3-pointer by Long Beach’s Payton Langley cut the lead to three and the Lady Panthers were able to end the first quarter up 11-5.
Long Beach started with a scrappy effort in the second with Shania Hope hitting two free throws and a basket to cut the lead to 12-10 midway through the quarter. Long Beach would get no closer the rest of the game.
Khyliyah Moore bombed two 3-pointers in the quarter to keep the Lady Panthers up for good.
Coach Lakeia Westerfield praised Moore’s efforts.
“Once she realizes how talented she is, she’s going to be incredible,” Westerfield said. “I never know what I’ll get from game to game, but I’m pushing her every day to just give maximum effort.”
After only scoring 18 in the first half, the teammates of Thomas and Moore lit up the second half and Westerfield was pleased with the team’s efforts.
“Playing as a team has been a huge conversation in practice and I have been stressing that we have to work hard on both ends of the floor,” she said. “We can’t control a lot of things, but we can control our effort.”
Like many girls teams on the Coast, Long Beach is working with a new coach.
Long Beach coach Jermille Fluker said it is a process that has to be learned, as painful as it might be.
“We were undisciplined on defense in the second quarter,” Fluker said. “We cut the lead to two and lost our communication and the two 3-pointers hurt us. We are still getting to know each other. The girls are trying to learn and know me and I’m trying to learn them so we just have to settle in and be prepared for the rest of our district games.”
Langley led Long Beach with 12 points.
Thomas’ 19 points led all scorers, with Moore putting in 13 with three 3-pointers.
Pascagoula is now 3-4 and will host George County on Tuesday. Long Beach falls to 5-7 and will host West Harrison on Tuesday.
After one quarter in the boys game, the rout was on with Pascagoula leading 29-14.
“Kelan had been in a slump from the 3-point line, but he came out on fire tonight,” said Pascagoula coach Lorenzo Wright. “This team is really unselfish and sometimes they can almost be too unselfish. They did a great job of recognizing that Kelan had the hot hand early and it just trickled down to the guys on the bench.”
With the game pretty much in hand the rest of the night, Wright was able to get a lot of players in the contest. Rich kept firing in the third quarter and then the bench players got their chance.
“It’s always great to get young guys in varsity games,” Wright said. “It gives them the ability to showcase what they can do and it also gives them confidence for key games later in the season. We are trying to find an identity for the second group. I want them to be relentless.”
Rich finished with 32 points, Dorian McMillian added 11, and eight other players scored for Pascagoula. The team made eight 3-pointers.
Pascagoula has been relentless so far this season. The Panthers move to 8-1 and will host George County on Tuesday night in another region game.
“With this being my first year, my biggest thing is getting them to play hard,” said Long Beach coach Kevin Hunt. “There’s a certain way we have to play and we have to change the culture. We have a lot of youth and only two seniors. I was proud of them for fighting to the end. We will change this program.”
Wayne Ulrich had 20 points for the Bearcats and Andre Windham added 13.
Long Beach falls to 2-10 and hosts West Harrison on Tuesday.
