By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

CLINTON, Miss. — The Pascagoula boys came into the prestigious “Rumble in the South” event Monday afternoon on a four game win streak in the annual affair.
And, even though it took a fourth quarter rally, the Panthers left the hardwood here at A.E. Wood Coliseum on the campus of Mississippi College with that win streak still intact.
Pascagoula out-scored Class 7A foe Northwest Rankin 18-14 in the final frame to pull out an exciting win in the third game of this event. The win moves PHS to 17-6 overall, and the Cougars fall to 13-8.

“It was a good team win,” veteran PHS head coach Lorenzo Wright, who has led the Panthers to back-to-back appearances in the overall Class 6A Final Four over the past two seasons, said. “We didn’t play well in the first three quarters. We were turning it over, getting killed on the glass and couldn’t make a free throw plus guys were in foul trouble. Yet, we found a way in the fourth quarter to pull out a great team win.”
Northwest Rankin’s Deshawn Dillon tallied 18 points through the first three quarters to help his team gain that 43-39 advantage entering the final frame in basically what amounted to the Cougars’ own backyard.
However, Pascagoula senior guard Blake Nettles proved down the stretch why he was named to the prestigious Dandy Dozen list this year, as he scored six of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, including going a perfect 4-for-4 on the free throw line to help his Panthers pull out the win.

In addition to the 16 points from Jackson Stage signee Nettles, he also pulled down nine rebounds and had four steals as he dispplayed his talent in the same area he will take his talents to next season. Pascagoula also got 10 points from recent transfer Jacob Griffin, including two key 3-pointers in the third frame. Ireyion Harvey and Adam Griffin both finished with eight points apiece, while Harvey also grabbed nine boards.
The Griffin twins transferred in from Booker T. Washington High in Pensacola, Fla., just before the holiday break.
Dillon dropped in a game-high 22 points for NWR, while Christopher Sanders had 15 points.