Ponchatoula rallies to beat Fairview

Published 9:21 pm Saturday, January 14, 2023

Fairview controlled the tempo early, but Ponchatoula started to match it and used its size advantage in the paint to win 79-74 on Saturday at the MLK Classic at Burton Coliseum

Ponchatoula (14-7) forwards Taylor Jackson and Libby Thompson had double-doubles. Jackson led the way with 28 points and 10 boards, and Thompson added 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Green Wave had five players score in double figures.

Bella Smith led Fairview with 18 points and 20 rebounds. Reesie Jinks had 21 points and eight assists. Ella Reeves finished with 17 points, and Kaylee Guillory added 12.

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Fairview led by as many as 12 points when Guillory hit the second of her four 3-pointers for a 30-18 lead with 4:22 left in the second quarter.

The Panthers (26-7) clung to a 34-30 lead at halftime, but the Green Wave kept pounding the ball inside to Jackson who scored six consecutive points. Thompson hit a three to tie the game at 40-40, and Lilana Bush’s free throws gave the Green Wave their first lead, 42-40, with 4:03 left in the third quarter.

Fairview got its lead back to five, but Ponchatoula finished the quarter on a 7-0 run, taking the lead for good on a buzzer beating 3-pointer by Amaya Gervais. Jackson scored 11 points in the third quarter.

Boys

North Central….67

Fairview…………63

The Hurricanes (8-9) held off a fourth quarter Panther rally to hold on for the win.
Trailing by 11 at halftime, Fairview twice got within two points in the fourth quarter but couldn’t get over the hump.
De’Vion Lavergne scored 20 points to lead the Hurricanes while Dylan Stovall added 12.
Landon Strother scored a game-high 22 for Fairview (22-4). Brett Jinks added 16 for the Panthers.