Box Score BY MIKE MONTFORT
The Panola Ponies got all the horsepower they needed here Wednesday night from Josh Miller and Cody Deen.
Miller and Deen accounted for more than 80 percent of 18th-ranked Panola's offense as the 18th-ranked Ponies galloped to an 86-75 Region XIV men's basketball victory over the Navarro Bulldogs at The Wolens SEC.
Miller, a 6-foot-6 sophomore transfer from Collin College, poured in a season-high 36 points – most against the Bulldogs this season and the second-highest individual scoring performance documented in the 2021 league. The Dallas product hit 13-of-22 shots from the floor including four three-pointers and 6-of-7 from the foul line.
Right behind Miller was Deen, a 5-foot-9 freshman guard from Shreveport, who drilled 33 points – 27 during Panola's 50-point second half. Deen hit 9-of-18 from the field, including 7-of-13 from well beyond the arc. He sank all eight of his free-throw attempts. Deen, with healthy double-digit scoring in nine of Panola's 10 games, came within one point of matching his career-high 34 in a 71-70 win February 6 at Paris.
Coach Aaron Smith's Ponies (8-2) followed their formula for success Wednesday by hitting three-pointers (12) and converting at the foul line (20-of-24). Panola, Region XIV's No. 2 free-throw shooting team at 71.9 percent, has fired 12 or more three-pointers in six consecutive games.
Panola's win completed a regular-season sweep of Navarro, broke a five-game winning streak and knocked coach Grant McMillan's Bulldogs (6-4) into fifth place behind Kilgore (7-3), an 82-76 winner over Blinn (5-3) at Brenham. The Bulldogs are three games behind league-leading Trinity Valley (9-1), the team they face Saturday at Cardinal Gym in Athens.
Navarro placed four in double-figure scoring, led sophomore forward Akol Mawein's 17 points and five rebounds. Mawein led NC in scoring for the third consecutive game and fourth time this season.
Sophomore transfer Sabry Philip posted a personal season-high 16 points from 5-of-9 shooting with 4 defensive rebounds. Freshman Jaylen Harrison tallied 13 points with three rebounds, two assists and two steals. Sophomore guard Drue Drinnon contributed 12 points, four rebounds and two assists.
The Bulldogs battled from behind most of the game.
During the final five minutes of the first half, Navarro overcame a nine-point deficit (32-23) and worked hard to outscore Panola 11-2 and gain a tie at 34. Drinnon, Mawein and Jules Moor connected for points during the surge before Harrison's trey tied the game for the fifth time in the half.
NC trailed at half (36-34) for the first time in seven games.
Panola extended its lead to 12 (51-39) with 15:32 to go, after Deen scored eight straight points by draining two long-range threes and then driving inside for an off-balance layup.
Again, the Bulldogs responded with a 15-3, four-minute blitz and forced a tie at 54, thanks to a pair of Edward Manuel buckets and Philip's game-tying soft jumper in the lane.
Back and forth they went from there, with neither assuming more than a four-point lead. After a Deen three regained a 70-69 lead for the Ponies, officials called a personal foul against Drinnon and a technical foul against the Navarro bench. JaHiem Handy and Esteban Roacho converted four foul shots that increased Panola's edge to five (74-69).
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SCORE BY HALVES:
Panola............36.....50 – 86
Navarro..........34.....41 – 75
PANOLA (86): Josh Miller 36, Cody Dean 33, Ja'Hiem Handy 5, Isaac Jackson 5, Esteban Roacho 3, Tytan Newton 2, Nico Hardin 2. TOTALS: (27-66)-(12-39)-(20-24)-86
NAVARRO (75): Akol Mawein 17, Sabry Philip 16, Jaylen Harrison 13, Drue Drinnon 12, Jules Moor 9, Edward Manuel 4, Souleymane Doumbia 2, Brian Washington 1, Jared Peel 1, Antonee Abraham 0. TOTALS: (25-59)-(4-13)-(21-33)-18-75.
TOTAL FOULS: NC -- 18.
FOUL OUT: NC - Philip.
REBOUNDS: NC -- 39. (10/29). Manuel 9, Moor 6, Washington 6, Mawein 5, Drinnon 4, Harrison 3, Doumbia 1, Peel 1, Philip 1.
ASSISTS: NC -- 8. Drinnon 2, Harrison 2, Philip 1, Moor 1, Washington 1, Doumbia 1.
STEALS: NC -- 4. Harrison 2, Drinnon 1, Moor 1.
BLOCKED SHOTS: NC -- 2. Washington 1, Drinnon 1.
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JUNIOR COLLEGE BASKETBALL SCOREBOARD
Games Wednesday, March 3, 2021
REGION XIV
Panola 86, Navarro 75 - PC: Josh Miller 36 and Cody Deen 33
Kilgore 82, Blinn 76 -- BC: Tyler Washington, 15 points
Jacksonville 88, Tyler 84 (OT) - JBC: Keldric Hayes 18 points, 15 rebounds
Lamar State-Port Arthur 74, Bossier Parish 72 - LSC: Joe Lucien 17 points, 10 rebounds
Trinity Valley 87, Coastal Bend 73 - TVCC: Dashawn Davis 17 points, 14 assists
Paris 74, Victoria 60 at Cleburne HS
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REGION V NTJCAC
Ranger 113, Grayson 102 RC: Keisei Tominaga 39 points (11 threes)
McLennan 80, Southwestern Christian 74
Weatherford at Hill
(Non-Conference)
Tribulation Prep at Temple
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REGION V WJCAC
(Non-Conference)
Frank Phillips 92, On Point Academy 53
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REGION XIV MEN'S STANDINGS
After Games of Wednesday, March 3
TEAM...........................W-L
TVCC............................9-1
Panola..........................8-2
Kilgore……………………....….7-3
Blinn……………………….....….5-3
Navarro.........................6-4
Paris.............................7-5
Tyler..............................4-6
Victoria..........................2-4
Bossier Parish.................3-7
Lamar State....................3-7
Jacksonville....................3-8
Coastal Bend..................1-7
