Most of the Yazoo City Indians games this season have seemed to follow a certain script. Get out to a comfortable lead. Have their opponent battle back and take the lead away. Fight like crazy to wrestle the lead back only to fall short in the end.
On Tuesday night, however, the Indians reversed the ending of the story as they were able to hang on in the end to defeat the Greenwood Bulldogs 63-60 for their first district win. Yazoo City snapped a four-game losing streak with the win and improved to 7-12 overall and 1-3 in district play.
“It’s about time,” said YHS head coach Karshae Peterson after the game. “It had been a while since our last win so we needed this one. There have been a whole lot of games this year where we’ve been ahead only to lose in the end. I’m glad we were finally able to finish a game. Hopefully it means we’re growing up.”
The Indians were hot early, scoring 18 first quarter points while holding the visiting Bulldogs to just 11. Yazoo City continued to pour it on in the second quarter and benefited from a pair of and-one baskets from center Demarcus Tornes to take a 10-point 36-26 lead into the half.
Yazoo City increased their lead to 13 early in the third period, but the Bulldogs began to slowly chip away at that lead. Over the final 6:40 of the quarter, Greenwood erased the Indian lead, going on a 19-7 run to steal the game’s momentum and trailed by one, 47-46, heading into the final quarter.
The all-to familiar scene that Indian fans have witnessed all year would have a different ending on this night, however, as the Indians were able to answer with a run of their own sparked by a go-ahead three pointer from senior guard Sam Johnson with 6:42 remaining. Johnson rocked his defender with a crossover and step-back three that ignited the crowd and his team and the Indians never looked back. Greenwood went scoreless for a four minute stretch while the Indians posted seven points to ultimately seal the win.
Leslie Nelson led the Indians with 18 points (four assists, 3 steals), followed by Sam Johsnon with 13 (three steals) and Kory Price with 11 (five steals). Other YHS scorers were Tornes with eight, Rorecoss Willis with four, Jerome Griffin with three, and F.J. Lewis, Laquan Johnson and Tommy Washington with two apiece.
Yazoo City hosted conference foe Clarksdale Friday night, travels to Clarksdale on February 2 and plays at Gentry on February 3.
