Blood and basketball: how Pascagoula has turned losses into wins with family ties
Basketball is different in Pascagoula this year.
The Panthers invaded gyms with one of the more talented lineups on the Coast a season ago, but could never quite turn the gear during a season that ended with a one-and-done trip to the playoffs.
Key contributors Trace Joseph and John Davis then graduated, leaving head coach Lorenzo Wright in search of new scoring weapons for his seventh team in ‘Goula.
He found them in cousins Kelan Rich and Dorian McMillian and they’ve done more than just fill in for lost production.
The two have spearheaded a sudden surge of dominance that is responsible for a dozen L’s listed on their opponent’s schedules.
“They compliment each other really well,” Wright told the Sun Herald shortly after a 32-point win over Pass Christian. “They’re in tune with each other. They know where each one is going to be on the floor and the whole family dynamic helps that situation.”
Rich is a sophomore and McMillian, a junior, developed into a talented scorer last season when he averaged just over nine points and four boards a game.
McMillian has attracted plenty of attention from the next level, too, as he’s already up to four offers from schools that include Mississippi State and Southern Miss.
Together they represent a new vibe that has the Panthers currently 12-1 and regarded as one of the best teams in the state.
“They play together,” Wright said about team chemistry. “Last year’s group didn’t always play together. This group plays together 95% of the time. They are all about each other.”
The two were responsible for nearly half the team’s points against a stout Hancock team on Friday, combining for 19 in a 44-40 win where Rich stuffed the box score with four rebounds and five assists.
“Coach has a game plan around us,” McMillian said. “We feel like if you put the ball in our hands, we’ll make the right play and put the ball in the goal and create for others.”
Together they have Pascagoula through the midway point of the regular season in strong position and in a much more comfortable spot than the 8-5 record it had at this point last season.
Wright says this is one of the deeper rosters he’s had at this job because of the cousins and the leaders that glue the group together.
One of those pieces is Robert “Pete” Millender, who is excelling in his role as a multi-faceted forward. According to McMillian, “he’s the best big man on the Coast.” Millender can defend the ball anywhere on the floor and is a capable shooter, as well as a go-to post option.
Millender is the Panther’s leading rebounder and fellow senior starter Jaheim Fornett is leading the team in assists.
“My two senior guys are leading us really well,” Wright said. He also mentioned senior Fernan Roque as a vocal leader off the bench.
Having built-in leadership has been an important part of Wright’s team, who must face the unique challenges that come with winning streaks and the painful reminders of what being on the wrong end of the scoreboard feels like.
The lone loss on the Panthers’ slate this season was a two-point battle against Gulfport that ended with the Admirals scoring a go-ahead layup in the closing moments.
“I’m not going to say we needed that (loss), but we needed something to wake us up,” McMillian said. “To show that we still have some improving to do, that we have more room to grow as a team.”
That loss ended a five-game win streak, but acted as the springboard for a new run that has stretched to seven games.
Pascagoula still has a long way to go with a rematch against Gulfport and two critical games against D’Iberville on the horizon.
The goal remains the state championship, according to McMillian, and Wright believes he has the right makeup on his sideline to give it a run.
“They’re athletic, they play hard and they play together,” Wright said. “That’s the main thing, is they play together.”
