By CURTIS ROCKWELL

CLINTON — The Pascagoula boys basketball team was the last squad in the “Southern Six” to wrap up its pre-Christmas part of its schedule Saturday, when the Panthers headed to Clinton.
And head coach Lorenzo Wright’s Panthers made the most of the rare day before Christmas Eve contest, knocking off Jackson Academy 70-59 at the BA$$A Invitational in A.E. Wood Coliseum on the campus of Mississippi College.
The win was the 13th straight for Pascagoula after a season-opening loss to Madison Central, and the Panthers stand at an impressive 13-1 overall as they prepare to unwrap their gifts over the next few days.
“With the competition that we have played, we are very fortunate to be 13-1,” Wright said Saturday, on the trip back home. “I’m proud that it has been a different guy each night, it shows that they are playing for each other, not caring who gets the credit as long as ‘WE’ get the credit as a team.”

Saturday’s game was the fourth of an eight game session at MC on Saturday, and Chris North was the big man on campus in Clinton for Pascagoula in the latest win, as the 6-foot-4 senior forward tallied a team-high 20 points including a pair of 3-pointers to earn Most Valuable Players honors in the contest.

The Panthers overcame a slight 21-17 deficit after the first quarter by out-scoring the Raiders 23-11 in the second stanza to take a 40-32 lead going into halftime.
Pascagoula stretched its lead ever so slightly as the third frame unfolded, and led by double-digits at 54-44 heading into the final period.
The Panthers took their largest lead of the game at the 5:34 mark of the final frame, when Markeuse Grady’s putback made it 62-48. Dorian McMillan finished a perfect six-of-six from the free throw line as the Panthers finished off the 11-point win.

North helped the Panthers control the inside game most of the day, as the Panthers outscored JA 46-34 in the paint. He made nine-of-11 field goal attempts in his award-winning performance.
McMillan, Pascagoula’s leading scorer so far this season, chipped in 16 points to the winning effort, while Grady added 14 points. Grady pulled down eight rebounds and McMillan added seven boards as well, while Kelan Rich gave Pascagoula four players in double digits as he posted a double-double in the win with 11 points and 10 assists. Blake Nettles rounded out the starting five for the Panthers with five assists and three steals.
Mike Williams led the Raiders with a game-high 24 points, including a quartet of 3-pointers, as he shot 26 field goals converting 10. He also had a game-high 10 rebounds along with teammate Tyler Lyles.
After a few days of rest for the holidays, Pascagoula heads back to the Jackson area for the fourth time this season to compete in the Madison County Holiday Tournament. The Panthers tip-off tourney play facing Velma Jackson on Wednesday.