By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director
PASCAGOULA — It was a big night for the Pascagoula boys basketball team Tuesday night.
In more ways than one.
The Panthers pummeled Piicayune 65-28 in a showdown for first place mid-way through the race in the Region 4-6 standings. Also, the win marked the 300th career victory for veteran PHS head coach Lorenzo Wright, who is in his 10th year at the helm of the Panthers.

With the win, Pascagoula moved to 15-6 overall and the Panthers are now 5-0 in league play in the current campaign, as Wright’s crew won their 33rd consecutive region game. Pascagoula is shooting for its third straight Region 4-6A title, and the Panthers will host the league tournament next month.

His latest win was all but over before it got started, as PHS doubled up on the Maroon Tide 16-8 after one quarter of play thanks in large part to five points apiece in the opening frame by Blake Nettles and Ireyion Harvey.
The Panthers then nearly doubled that advantage up by halftime, as Marcus Cooper notched five points, including a 3-pointer, in the second period pushing PHS out to a 31-17 lead at intermission.
And, if Picayune had any thoughts of a second half comeback, the Dandy Dozen senior standout guard Nettles laid those quickly to rest as the second half unfolded, as he registered 12 points in a 26-point third-frame eruption and the Panthers cruised to the win.

Nettles, a Jackson State signee, tallied a game-high 21 points to pace PHS to the win, while Harvey finished with eight points and recent transfer Adam Griffin had seven points as Wright emptied his bench in the fourth period.
Both Jeremiah Mark and Jordan Hathorne had eight points apiece for the Maroon Tide. Picayune dropped to 10-9 overall and 4-1 in the region race with the loss.

Wright came to Pascagoula after three years as a head coach at D’Iberville. He started his head coaching career at Patterson (la.) High.

“I’m extremely proud of the accomplishment,” Wright said. “It means I’ve been coaching for a minute. It’s an opportunity to look back remember and appreciate each player from Patterson, La, d’Iberville and Pascagoula who have contributed to each win, I have learned a lot at each school and each year to make myself a better coach and I couldn’t have done it without them.”