By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

PASCAGOULA — The Hancock boys picked up their first win of the new year Saturday afternoon.

The Hawks, which fell in a hard-fought 60-54 contest on the road to Gulfport on Thursday night, bounced back to knock off Greene County 47-38 in the third game of the 16th annual “Panther Classic” here at Pascagoula High.

The win moves Hancock to 8-11 on the season.

“I thought our guys did a good job of adjusting to the flow of the game today,” Hancock head coach Conner Entrekin, who is in his second season at the helm of the Hawks, said. “This was a game we knew we were going to have to play mentally and physically tough and I thought for the most part our guys did a great job doing that. We had some guys step up with a few guys in foul trouble and that’s always comforting as a coach when you can trust the guys behind you. Time now to turn our focus to Long Beach as we get ready to enter back into district play.”

Hawk versatile multi-sport performer and big man Jaxson Knight put in six points in the opening quarter, helping HHS get off to a 13-8 lead heading into the second stanza.

Kaison Koenenn, fresh off of his time as the quarterback for the Hancock football team, scored five points in the second period including a 3-pointer, but the Wildcats responded with eight points from Sidney Jackson and six points by Cordarius Molten to pull into a 24-24 tie at halftime.

Hancock, however, began to turn the tide in its favor steadily as the third quarter unfolded, when Jude Ulrich nailed a trey as well as another basket for five points in the frame and Jaden Lee added four points as well and the Hawks pulled into the final frame up 37-31.

Donte Taylor’s four points in the fourth period helped his Hawks secure the win over the Wildcats.

Lee led Hancock with 12 points while Koenenn chipped in 11 points to the winning effort and Knight added eight points.

Molten paced Greene County with 12 points, with Jackson finishing with those eight points that all came in the second stanza.

Hancock returns to Region 4-6A play hosting Long Beach Tuesday night.