Article courtesy of Ryan Silapan at The Panola Watchman
CARTHAGE — In a tight game, the Panola College men's basketball team was looking for that shot, or in Bennie Amos III's case, back-to-back 3-point shots to break the game open.
"It was a real spark for us and we needed that," Panola's Rodney Johnson Jr. said. "We needed that burst of energy and excitement to just seal the game and take it home with the win."
Amos III's 3s gave the Ponies a nine-point lead with 6:28 left in the game, and Panola wouldn't look back in defeating visiting Paris Junior College 72-61 in a Region XIV Conference game on Saturday at Arthur Johnson Gymnasium.
Panola (19-6 overall, 10-4 Region XIV) never allowed Paris within nine points the rest of the game.
"I thought the second half the guys did a great job of getting stops when we needed to get stops," Panola Coach Aaron Smith said. "Were able to make a couple of shots and get to the rim. Free throws are definitely an issue right now, and we are working on them everyday."
Panola hit just 12 of their 26 free throw attempts in the game.
It wasn't a quick start for the Ponies, who never led by more than six in the first half in only scoring 30 points.
"We had to go there and fight," Johnson Jr. said. "We came out in the first half being sluggish and not doing we're supposed to do, but we came in at halftime and our coach told us what we needed to win the game and we went out and executed."
Johnson Jr. led Panola with 16 points, including 12 in the second half, six rebounds and four blocks; Isaac Jackson scored 11 with a pair of steals; Amos III scored nine on three 3-pointers; Olaverr Camacho scored nine and had a game-high 11 rebounds; and Jaylen Wysinger scored eight.
"Coach Jordan (Gillon) kept telling me to be aggressive and that no one can guard me, so I took that to heart," Johnson Jr. said. "I went there and just tried the best I could and put the ball in the basket."
Point guard Jacobi Lewis scored five points and had four assists, Esteban Roacho scored four with four assists, and David Jones scored with four with seven boards and a pair of blocks.
With leading scorer Troy Hupstead and Camacho battling foul trouble nearly the entire game, Smith praised Johnson Jr. and others for stepping up.
"He was great, getting to the rim and finishing," Smith said of Johnson Jr. "Four block shots and David Jones played good for us and had a few blocked shots. It was really a team effort."
Paris (13-12, 7-7) held a 29-27 lead — their only lead of the game — before Panola took the lead right back on the next possession on an Amos III 3 that made it 30-29 shortly before the first half horn sounded.
Before Amos III's back-to-back 3s, Smith said he was nervous because at the time he had a very small line-up in while Paris had gone with a big line-up.
Thankfully it paid off for the Ponies.
"Those were big shots," Smith said. "We were actually too small at the 1, 2, and 3 (position) and they went big. I was terrified, but we came away building the lead, which was big."
Koron Davis scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds and had four assists to lead Paris, Ronald Holmes Jr. scored 13 points, while Randarius Jones and Da'May Jones both scored eight.
Panola with have back-to-back road games this week starting with tonight's matchup at Bossier Parish. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
"We got better as a team and for this win we're just going to pat ourselves on the back," Camacho said. "We have Bossier next and we'll get ready for that."
Panola edged Bossier Parish 83-74 back on Jan. 12 in Carthage.