By STAN CALDWELL/Sports Writer

JACKSON – Pascagoula’s bid for history was denied in the most crushing way possible.

Ridgeland used a variety of defenses to stymie the Panthers, and the Titans took control in the fourth quarter to score a 48-42 upset Wednesday night in the Class 6A semifinals at Mississippi Coliseum.

Ridgeland (24-9) will face Olive Branch for the 6A state championship at 4 p.m. Saturday. Pascagoula’s season ends at 29-2.

“Got to give credit to Ridgeland tonight,” said Pascagoula coach Lorenzo Wright. “They came out with a great defensive game plan, and we never truly adjusted. Then they made free throws down the stretch to close the deal out.”

This one was championship caliber basketball from start to finish, featuring 11 lead changes and seven ties. In all, the Panthers committed 19 turnovers to just 12 for the Titans.

The final lead change came midway through the final period on 12-foot jumper from the right baseline by Titan senior Stevent Watkins. Titan junior Phil Nelson converted 6 of 7 foul shots down the stretch to ice the game for Ridgeland.

Truthfully, Pascagoula never got into a comfort zone against the switching defenses employed by the Titans.

Nevertheless, the Panthers used a 6-0 run to close the first quarter and led 16-12 heading into the second period. 

Pascagoula senior Dorian McMillian swished a 17-foot jumper early in the second period to give the Panthers an 18-12 lead, but that would be their biggest lead of the night.

The Panthers spent much of the second quarter trying to pull Ridgeland out of its smothering zone defense, but got little out of the tactic.

“Yeah, the pace wasn’t what we wanted, but, again, you’ve got to give the credit to Ridgeland,” Wright said. “They mixed it up on us, going from man-to-man to the zone, and the zone slowed us down.

“The second quarter, we missed a bunch of layups that could have extended our lead a little bit. The little things came back and got us tonight.”

Still, Pascagoula led 20-16 at halftime.

Ridgeland signaled its ability to more than just hang with the top-ranked Panthers by opening the second half with 3-balls on back-to-back possessions.

Titan senior Morris Hammond converted a trey from the left baseline, Pascagoula answered with a drive down the lane from sophomore Blake Nettles, but Ridgeland came back with another 3-pointer by sophomore Khameron Snow.

That tied the game 22-22, and Ridgeland built on that to build a 28-24 lead, before the Panthers rallied.

Pascagoula scored the last five points of the third quarter, on a 3-ball from McMillian and a fast-break slam by junior Kelan Rich after a steal.

Leading 29-28 heading into the decisive fourth quarter, the Panthers and Titans went back and forth, trading baskets.

But Ridgeland converted 7 of 10 shots from the field in the fourth quarter, and that was too much for Pascagoula to overcome. Ridgeland finished the game shooting 47.4 percent (18 of 38).

Rich put the Panthers ahead 31-30 with a fast-break layup off a steal, but the Titans answered with Nelson driving the lane for a layup.

Pascagoula took its last lead midway through the period, turning a 36-33 deficit into a 37-36 lead. Senior Markuese Grady put back a miss with a short jump shot, then McMillian took a steal coast-to-coast for a layup.

Ridgeland 6-foot-10 center Ebo Wilson put back a miss to give the Titans a 40-37 lead, then McMillian nailed a trey from the top of the key to tie the game one last time.

Wilson was not a factor in the first half, but finished with 10 points, eight coming in the second half.

“Yeah, he was more active in the second half,” Wright said. “That, and they hit a couple of big 3’s to start the second half that kind of got us on our heels a little bit.”

Nelson battled foul trouble and did not score until the fourth quarter, but he was the decision-maker for Ridgeland down the stretch. 

He put the Titans ahead for good with a drive down the land, drew a foul and converted the free throw. Nelson subsequently made 5 of 6 shots from the line the rest of the game to finish with 10 points.

Watkins led all scorers with 18 points for Ridgeland, and McMillian had 17 points to lead Pascagoula.

The Panthers had carried a 29-game winning streak into the semifinals, but Wright said the pressure of continuing that streak wasn’t a factor in the loss.

“I don’t think it was,” Wright said. “We always took the next-game approach. Tonight, it just wasn’t our night. It was great season, but that’s about all I can say.”