By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

PASCAGOULA — The boy’s basketball team at Pascagoula High School produced a historical season on the hardwood this year.
Saturday night, the Panther senior class that has been so instrumental in that success added yet another chapter to that history book.
Pascagoula thumped visiting West Jones 73-46 in the opening round of the state playoffs. The win pushed the Panthers’ school-record win streak to 28 games, as PHS moves on to the Class 6A South State Quarterfinal Tournament next weekend with a 28-1 overall mark.
“I thought we came out with great focus,” Pascagoula head coach Lorenzo Wright said. “We got a little relaxed towards the end of the second quarter, but our second group was great again tonight.”

Pascagoula, which starts five seniors most of the time, picked up its first state playoff win in three years and the first for those upperclassmen. The Panthers were upset at home in each of the past two seasons in their first playoff game.
Panther senior Dandy Dozen standout guard Dorian McMillian celebrated his recent status of being named both Class 6A “Mr. Basketball” in the state of Mississippi as well as getting the “SouthMiss6 Sports Boys Basketball Player of the Year” with a big first quarter to get PHS off to a quick start.
McMillian drained a trio of 3-pointers in the opening frame and tallied 14 points total as Pascagoula jumped out to a quick 27-12 led by more than doubling the output of the Mustangs to get things started.
Attempting to keep its season alive, West Jones tried to bounce back a bit in the second stanza but McMillian sank another trey and Cle’Darius Ross came off the bench with a 3-pointer of his own and the Panthers remained in control at 43-29 heading into halftime.
The Mustangs never got closer than 12 points the rest of the game.

McMillian poured in a game-high 31 pints to pace Pascagoula. Classmates Markeuse Grady and Blake Nettles each added eight points apiece to the winning cause, while Ross chipped in eight points also. Grady also had a game-high nine rebounds, just missing out on a double-double, while senior Chris North dished out five assists.
Cooper Kennedy and Jamale James each had 10 points apiece for WJHS, which ends its season at 12-19 overall.
Pascagoula moves on to Perkinston for action on Friday in the quarterfinals. The Panthers will meet Region 4-6 foe West Harrison at 8:30 p.m., in the final game of the day at Dantzler Arena on the campus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.

The Hurricanes went on the road and brewed up a big 63-60 upset win over defending Class 5A state champion Hattiesburg Saturday night. Pascagoula swept a pair of league games from WHHS during the regular season.
“Looking forward to battling a tough west Harrison squad,” Wright concluded. “We have to remain focused.”
The other quarterfinal contest will pit Picayune vs. Terry. The winners of both games will advance on to the overall Class 6A State Tournament at The Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson.