Forest captures Tournament title

By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
Jan. 4, 2003
PHILADELPHIA Forest outscored West Lauderdale 42-26 in the second half to capture the Neshoba Invitational Tournament boys' championship Saturday night at Neshoba Central High School.
Forest led 11-9 after one quarter only to have the Knights take a 20-13 lead on a three-point play by Kolin Boyd with 5:41 left in the second quarter.
Forest battled back to within 31-29, but another three-point play by Daniel Huggins with no time on the clock sent the Knights into halftime with a 34-29 advantage.
Forest had a hot 72-second span late in the third quarter to grab a 45-38 lead. VaNario Youngblood and Jonathan Bennett converted consecutive three-point plays to put the Bearcats up 41-38. A layup by Michael Townsend and a basket from close range by Braxton Boone gave Forest a 45-38 lead with 54 seconds left in the third period.
West got a buzzer-beating layup from Huggins to enter the third period down 45-42.
Boone converted another three-point play to give Forest a 49-42 advantage with 7:35 to play.
Seconds later, Boone, a tight end on the Forest football team, made the first of two free throws, then grabbed his own miss and stuck it back to put the Bearcats up 52-44.
A layup by Townsend gave Forest a 54-44 lead with 5:51 left.
West began a comeback bid on a pair of free throws from Mark Ford. Huggins made it 55-50 on a layup with 4:36 showing.
Forest answered with another putback from Boone and a layup from Jimmy Patrick to go up 59-50 with 3:30 left.
West would get no closer than eight points down the stretch.
West, 14-4, got 15 points apiece from Huggins and Lee Nelson. Boyd scored 11, Ford had eight, and Chris Seaphus tossed in seven.
Boone led Forest, 11-2, with 23 points. Patrick tallied 14, Courtney Parhm had eight, and Townsend, Jacquas Jones, and Ontario Holifield each had six.
Newton County 59
Neshoba Central 44
The Cougars spurted out to a 33-21 halftime lead in beating the Rockets for the second time this season. Newton County outscored the Rockets in all four quarters of the third-place contest.
Newton County, 10-4, got 11 points from Ricardo Alcanter, eight from Willie Windham, seven from Jose Alcanter, and six each from James Broach and Shammond Jones.
Neshoba Central, 6-11, got 15 points from Eric Smith and 11 from Anthony Jones.
Philadelphia 54
Scott Central 43
The Tornadoes outscored the Rebels 32-21 in the second half to take the fifth-place game.
Philadelphia led 39-35 to start the fourth quarter. Scott Central closed to within 45-43 with just over three minutes remaining, only to have the Tornadoes score the game's last nine points.
Philadelphia, 11-4, got 27 points from Bobby Goodin, 17 from Eric Lyons, and seven from Trey Beamon.
Scott Central, 12-4, got 17 points from Pierre Barlow, 10 from Eddie Patrick, and six from Nathaniel McKee.
Wayne County 68
Carthage 65
The War Eagles got 20 points from Cedric Jones in taking the seventh-place game in overtime.
Wayne County led 29-20 at halftime only to have the Tigers draw even by the end of regulation.
Wayne County, 3-5, also got 10 points from Jerrel Powe, nine from Kamarcus West, and eight from David Howard.
Dexter Leflore hit seven 3-pointers in leading Carthage, 5-11, with 35 points. Darrell Miller scored 13 and Tim Thompson had eight.