By By Robby Atkinson/Special to The Star
Jan. 16, 2002
QUITMAN The Lady Mustangs walked into Quitman and took their 17th win of the season in impressive fashion by a final score of 57-39.
In the second game of the night, the Quitman boys took a 69-52 win over the visiting Mustangs.
The first quarter of action in the girls game was dreadful for both squads, with West Jones holding a 10-8 lead after the first eight minutes.
The Lady Mustangs had a couple of good highlights in the first period as Sharon Pendarvis scored a pair of baskets to mount the only offense for West Jones in the opening quarter. The visitors quickly got a hot hand from Latoria Keyes who nailed a jumper to open up the second quarter of action and Pendarvis followed with a basket to give the Lady Mustangs a little breathing room.
Quitman came right back and scored a pair of free throws by Shaquilla Mack to cut into the West Jones lead at 16-10.
Free throws might have been a plus for the Lady Panthers in the first half, but their defense was no match for Keyes as she ripped off another basket and a free throw to extend the Lady Mustang lead to 19-10 with 4:49 remaining until the halftime break.
Alicia Bonner helped the home team as she drained a jump shot to bring Quitman back to within striking distance at 19-12. Lauren Husbands brought West Jones right back up the floor and hit a long three-point shot and give the Lady Mustangs an even bigger cushion at 22-12 with 3:53 left in the second quarter. The Lady Panthers couldn't catch up as West Jones held a 30-24 lead at the halftime break.
Quitman went ice cold on the offensive end in the second half as the Lady Mustangs took advantage of the situation and got a pair of baskets from Keyes and a jump shot from Pendarvis to give West Jones its largest lead of the night at 35-26 with 4:15 left until the fourth quarter.
Quitman became its own worst enemy moments later as West Jones got six straight points off Lady Panther turnovers to take a 43-31 lead at the end of the third quarter.
West Jones delivered the final two knockout punches in the final four minutes with a pair of baskets from Keyes as the Lady Mustangs took the big road win by a final score of 57-39.
Keyes led the Lady Mustangs in scoring with 27 points and Pendarvis followed with 15 points in the win for West Jones. Mack had 11 points for Quitman, while Mashana Bonner chipped in with eight points for the Lady Panthers.
Quitman boys 69
West Jones 52
The Panthers made sure that there wouldn't be a sweep as the Mustangs fell by a 17-point margin. Quitman led the Mustangs 18-14 at the end of the first quarter, but the Panthers turned the afterburners on in the second to heat up the offense.
Quitman did trail at one point in the second quarter 23-22 at the 6:16 mark in part to a quick scoring run by West Jones. The Panthers wouldn't be denied as the dandy pair of Jason Pearson and Lorenzo White set the nets on fire and led Quitman to a 35-30 lead at the end of the second quarter, despite the strong efforts of West Jones' Antonio Moffett.
Quitman started to pull away with the duo of Pearson and White and the Panthers rode the pair to the win.
Pearson led Quitman with 31 points and White delivered 14 for the Panthers. Rico Keyes had 16 points and Moffett came in with 15 points for West Jones.
West Jones returns to action Friday night when the Mustangs hit the road to Raleigh. Quitman will be home to square off against Division 5-4A rival Northeast Jones the same night.