Tigers pull off stunner at 5-3A tournament

By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
Feb. 18, 2004
CHOCTAW You could have counted the number of folks that held out hope for the Southeast Lauderdale Tigers going into the Region 5-3A Tournament on your fingers and toes and probably had a few left over.
With only one win in their previous 17 games, a first-round win over second-seeded Morton seemed unlikely at best.
Yet, it will be Southeast advancing to Thursday's semifinals and a trip to the South State Tournament next week, as the Tigers knocked off Morton 67-60 Tuesday night at Choctaw Central.
The victory brought back memories of a Southeast team that was 5-4 and playing good ball the first week of December, not the one that limped into the league tournament with a 7-22 mark.
Morton led 15-12 after one quarter, but the Tigers pulled even at 23 going into halftime.
Southeast used a 6-0 run late in the third quarter to go up 45-35 heading into the final quarter.
The Tigers opened the fourth quarter with a basket by Chris Gordon to go up 47-35. Morton's Mantice Amos was called for a foul on the shot, then a technical foul. Alex West knocked down two free throws to give the Tigers their biggest lead of the game at 49-35 with 7:41 to play.
Morton got as close as five points on four occasions, the last coming with 21 seconds left on a 3-point bomb by Shay Hodge.
Gordon hit 7-of-13 free throws in leading Southeast, 8-22, with 31 points. West was 9-of-12 at the line and finished with 22 points.
Morton, 14-12, got 27 points from Hodge, who hit six 3-pointers. Chris Lloyd had 14 points.
Action resumes on Thursday with the top-seeded Choctaw Central girls playing Carthage at 4 p.m. and the top-seeded Choctaw Central boys taking on Forest at 5:30 p.m. The Southeast Lauderdale girls tangle with West Lauderdale at 7 p.m. and the West boys face Southeast at 8:30 p.m.
Forest (boys) 68
Newton County 64
It took overtime to settle their first-round game with the Bearcats outscoring the Cougars 10-6 in the extra period.
Forest looked to have the game in hand in regulation, leading 51-46 with three minutes left following a basket by Braxton Boone.
Newton County got a layup from Willie Windham and a pair of three-pointers from Craig Pruitt to close to within 55-54, with 1:27 to play.
After Jacquas Jones buried a trey to put Forest up 58-54 with 1:03 remaining, the Cougars got a layup from Ricardo Alcanter and a driving layup by Pruitt with 26 seconds left to force overtime at 58 apiece.
Forest took a 62-58 lead in overtime on a putback by Jones and a steal and layup by Courtney Parhm.
After James Broach converted a three-point play, Newton County grabbed a 63-62 lead on a pair of free throws by Pruitt with 39.3 seconds showing.
A steal by Parhm led to a basket by Jonathan Bennett with 20 seconds left as the Bearcats reclaimed a one-point edge.
Pruitt tied the game at 64 with a free throw with 13.8 seconds left.
Vanario Youngblood gave Forest a 66-64 lead with two free throws four seconds later and Michael Townsend clinched the win with two more free shots with 2.7 seconds left.
Boone led Forest, 21-8, with 24 points, 17 of which came in the second half. Jones had 15, Youngblood had eight, and Parhm and Alex Reed both had six.
Newton County, 18-11, got 27 points from Pruitt, 12 from Shammond Jones, and 11 from Alcanter.
Carthage (girls) 64
Newton County 38
Carthage improved to 19-12 after going 1-27 a year ago. Four of the wins have been over Newton County.
After an 8-8 tie at the end of the first quarter, the Lady Tigers took advantage of several Newton County turnovers in the second period to carry a 24-18 lead into halftime.
Carthage led 42-30 by the end of the third quarter.
Alisa Matlock led Carthage with 23 points, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter. The Lady Tigers also got 12 points from Amanda Schmidt, 11 from Maria Neal, and eight from Shonda Marshall.
Newton County, which finished 13-15 in losing its last seven games, got 18 points from LeEshae Wesley and eight from Dominique Mapp.