Williams lifts Moss Point past George County in shootout
MOSS POINT -- With just over five minutes left in the game, the host Tigers saw their solid 12-point advantage over George County dwindle down to five in the Booker Shootout on Saturday.
B.J. Williams then took over for Moss Point, getting a steal, a trey, and a basket to spark an 8-0 Tigers run and push their lead to over a dozen.
The Rebels would not threaten again as Moss Point took home a 75-64 win over George County.
Moss Point coach Tony Woody said it was good to see the Tigers fight back in the game. He noted Moss Point was coming off a hard-fought seven-point Friday win on the road.
"We are showing some signs of being where I want us to be," Woody said, noting his team, at 4-3, was better after seven games this year. Last year the Tigers dropped their first seven games.
Woody said he is still looking for the right lineup.
"We don't have that 'X-factor' player," he said. "On a normal night, we will have two or three players score double digits and two or three players score six to nine points. We have to pass the ball, hit our shots, and fight our way through some situations."
Woody said his team is building momentum.
"There are only big-time teams on the Gulf Coast," he said. "We are starting to get where we can beat some of the big boys along the Coast."
Moss Point took over with a strong first half behind nine 3-pointers from five players, four of whom hit two treys each.
Kyshun Wordlaw scored 11 in the first half and Marcus Brown with 10, hitting two 3-pointers, as the Tigers jumped out to a 47-34 lead at the break.
Behind Cameron Hartfield, who scored six of his eight points in the final quarter, and Joseph Dortch and Jaquan Hawkins, who scored four points each in the final frame, the Rebels mounted a late comeback only to see the Tigers surge with a late-game run.
Brown paced Moss Point with 17 points. Williams finished with 14 and Woodlaw 12 points. Antwain Lucky added nine points, all but one point in the first half. David Evans contributed eight, all in the first half.
LaRaymond Spivery scored 19 to lead all scorers. Tyrese Fryfogle finished with nine points for the Rebels.
Pascagoula girls 50, George County 33: Chabreyia McMillian and Zion Morgan each drained two first-quarter 3-pointers as the Panthers jumped out to an 18-5 lead after eight minutes and never looked back.
Alexis McBeath led the way for Pascagoula with 17 points. McMillian finished with 14 points.
Dortch led the Rebels with 14 points while Hubbard scored nine points.
Pascagoula boys 51, Oak Grove 31: Behind their pressure defense, Pascagoula went on a 12-0 run over the last four minutes of the second quarter to take a 33-14 lead at the half and cruise to the win.
Eric Smith got the run started with a steal, one of 21 Oak Grove first half turnovers, and an old-fashioned 3-pointer. Jakwaize Walker ended the run with 30 seconds left in the second quarter with a more conventional, modern 3-pointer.
Anthony McMillian led 11 Panther scorers with 14 points. Noel Jones added nine points and Walker finished with eight points. Ward led Oak Grove with 10 points.
Moss Point girls 38, Gautier 35: With 48 seconds left in the game, Moss Point's LaMiracle Sims hit the front end of a two-shot foul, but missed the second attempt. However, Celia Rogers was there to grab the offensive board and score two for the Tigers, pushing the Moss Point lead back to five, 38-33.
Despite Aaliya Kline hitting one-of-two free throws with 12 seconds left, and three-of-four down the stretch for Gautier, Moss Point would hold on for the win. Sims scored 17 to lead all scorers with Rogers notching seven points. Kline paced Gautier with 16 points.
This story was originally published December 12, 2015 at 9:19 PM with the headline "Williams lifts Moss Point past George County in shootout ."