Prep Basketball: Maroon Tide claims playoff berth with 62-45 win over Bearcats
Picayune’s Jeremiah Marks looks for some working room vs. Long Beach Friday night. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)
By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director
LONG BEACH — After a brief one year absence, the Picayune boys basketball team is returning to the Class 6A South State playoffs.
The Maroon Tide rolled to a 62-45 road win over Long Beach in Region 4-6A play Friday night. The win not only pushed Picayune to 13-7 overall on the season, but, more importantly, 7-1 in the region race, and it secures at least the second seed in the upcoming league tournament in three weeks.
Picayune’s Kelton Stewart surveys the situation vs. Long Beach Friday night. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)Keveun Smyers of Long Beach looks for some working room vs. Picayune Friday night. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)Picayune’s Xavier Dennis pushes the ball past mid-court with Carlos Finch of Long Beach in hot pursuit Friday night. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)Picayune’s Xavier Dennis and Neveah Smith of Long Beach scramble for possession Friday night. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)
And the big deal about that is that the top two seeds, the Maroon Tide and league-leading Pascagoula, automatically receive opening round byes in the event and into the semifinals and are guaranteed a spot in the last four standing for playoff purposes.
The one-two Picayune punch of Jordan Hathorne and Kelton Stewart proved to be more than enough for the visitors on Friday night, as the pair produced 30 combined points in the winning effort.
Picayune’s Jeremiah Marks attempts to block a shot at the basket by Shackeam Donaldson of Long Beach Friday night. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)Picayune’s Jordan Hathrone skips into the lane as Carlos Finch of Long Beach defends Friday night. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)Picayune’s Jeremiah Marks splits through a pair of Long Beach defenders on his way to the basket Friday night. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)Picayune’s Jordan Hathorne glides in for a lay-up vs. Long Beach Friday night. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)
Stewart paced Picayune with 16 points and he had six rebounds, while Hathorne, one of the Maroon Tide’s top running backs on the football field, chipped in 14 points. Both Jeremiah Marks and Xavier Dennis added nine points apiece for the Maroon Tide, and Beaux Hoover scored eight points and had four assists and three steals. Dennis, like Hathorne, was also a key ball-carrier on the gridiron.
Keveun Smyers led Long Beach with a game-high 17 points, while Donovan Magee added 11 points and Leroy Cameron had 10 points for the Bearcats. Carlos Finch pulled down six rebounds for the home team and Neveah had six steals.
Long Beach fell to 9-14 overall and 1-7 in the region race.
Keveun Smyers of Long Beach picks up his dribble as he works his way through the lane while Picayune’s Xavier Dennis defends Friday night. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)Picayune’s Kelton Stewart puts up a shot in the lane as Benjamin Alsaker (15) of Long Beach defends and Bearcat Donovan Magee (3) reacts Friday night. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)Carlos Finch of Long Beach leaps for a jump shot vs. Picayune Friday night. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)Keveun Smyers of Long Beach looks for a passing partner vs. Picayune Friday night. (Photo by Bobby McDuffie)
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