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Bobby Nettles and Pascagoula beat Moss Point 61-51 on Friday night, to win two of three from the Tigers this season. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com)
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi --- Pascagoula won the season series from arch-rival Moss Point Friday night by making nearly every shot count.
The Panthers hit buzzer-beaters to end the first three quarters and made 10 3-pointers overall to win 61-51 on a boisterous Senior Night inside a packed "Panther Dome." The victory was the 13th straight for Pascagoula, which carries a 19-6 record into next week's Division 8-5A tournament, which the Panthers will host.
"We're just doing it the Goula way," Pascagoula coach Ron Norman said. "In a big game, somebody's got to make a play. And somebody did. I'm so proud of our kids for that."
The Tigers (14-14) dominated early, just as they did in a 60-51 victory on Dec. 6 at Moss Point and a 71-53 Pascagoula win at HoopsFest in Biloxi last month. Moss Point led 15-4 late in the first quarter, before the Panthers' Carlos Liddell hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut the Tigers' lead to 10.
The shots finally began to fall in the second quarter for Pascagoula, particularly from 3-point range. Montrell Shepard's buzzer-beating 3-pointer pulled the Panthers within 25-24 at the half.
"We work on shooting all the time," Nettles said. "We just keep shooting, and we fall like it will fall eventually."
Moss Point star Devin Booker was held without a field goal and to just seven points in the first half, but heated up after the break. After Pascagoula took a 29-25 lead on Bobby Nettles' 3-pointer, Booker took over.
The Kentucky signee scored 13 points in the third quarter, including nine straight at one point. Yet another Pascagoula buzzer-beater --- this one a putback from La'Datren Deas gave the Panthers a 42-39 lead after three.
"Those shots were all big," Norman said. "I've said it before -- my kids shoot with confidence. I'm more concerned about what we do on the defensive end. I thought we scrapped our way to a win tonight."
Moss Point never had the lead in the fourth quarter, with Pascagoula's Montray Shepard (Montrell's twin brother) hitting three 3-pointers to push the Panthers' advantage to double digits. Booker ended with 32 points, his 18th time over 30 this season.
Jacques Belford led Pascagoula with 19 points, while Nettles had 16 and Montray Shepard 11. Moss Point played without point guard Marcus Watson, who was serving a state-mandated suspension for getting ejected from last Friday's game with Poplarville.
"They wore us down," Moss Point acting coach Melvin Booker said. "They were real physical on defense. By the fourth quarter, we didn't have any legs. But the kids fought. It was a great game, a great atmosphere."
Pascagoula begins tournament play at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday against East Central. Moss Point has a first-round bye in the Division 8-4A tournament at Bay, and meets the Poplarville-Bay winner at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.