Pass Christian, West Harrison split at PCHS Tournament

PASS CHRISTIAN -- The Pass Christian High School boys and girls basketball teams split a series with West Harrison Saturday in Pass Christian.

The games were the final series in the 20th Annual PCHS Round Robin Tournament. Hancock County won the boys division and West Harrison took home the trophy for the girls. FCAHS also participated in the tournament.

The West Harrison girls won 47-36. The Pirates, the defending Division 8-4A champions, won 52-34.

Pass High got off to a slow start offensively Saturday, leading 19-15 in a low-scoring first half.

"We struggled a bit offensively in the first half," Pirates coach Buddy Kennedy said. "But they did much better in the second half."

Although the Pirates (2-2) came to life offensively in the second half, scoring West Harrison by almost 20 points, Kennedy said solid defense also played a role.

"They fought hard mentally and found a way to win," he said. "They played really well defensively."

Senior guard Maliq Leaks led the Pirates defensively with five steals.

Senior guard Aaron Whavers led Pass High with 16 points and nine rebounds. Leaks finished with 14 points and three assists. Jaylen Peters also had double digits in scoring with 12 points.

Demarcus Boyd also had three assists and eight rebounds. Aydarius Young also had eight rebounds.

In the girls' game, the Lady Hurricanes quickly jumped out to a five-point lead and never looked back. Senior Ameshya Williams scored 27 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to help secure West Harrison's victory.

The Pass High boys and girls will travel to Hattiesburg to face Presbyterian Christian on Tuesday, They have another road game at Picayune Thursday before hosting Ocean Springs on Friday.

This story was originally published November 14, 2015 at 8:04 PM with the headline "Pass Christian, West Harrison split at PCHS Tournament ."