After a pair of losses to open the season last weekend in the Canton High School Tigerland Classic, the Yazoo City Indians and Lady Indians were hoping their home openers would end on brighter notes this past Tuesday when they hosted Port Gibson.
Unfortunately, the results were the same as the Indians dropped a 63-51 decision while the Lady Indians lost 65-48.
In boy’s action, the Indians stayed close to Port Gibson after the first quarter, trailing 9-7, but the offense struggled a bit in the second quarter after center Chavis Banks was sent to the bench after his second foul. The smaller Indians managed to keep the game close, however, with their top scorer on the bench as Port Gibson outscored them 14-11 to take a five-point lead (23- 18) into the intermission.
Banks returned to the floor in the second half only to pick up another foul early and return to the bench. With Banks out again, Port Gibson began to take advantage of their size advantage on the inside and posted a 21-16 third quarter. The visitors closed out the game with a 19-17 fourth quarter to seal the win.
Sam Johnson led the Indians in scoring with 11 points, followed in double figures by Banks and Roosevelt Johnson with 10 apiece. Leslie Nelson and F.J. Lewis each scored six points, Kory Price had four and Davari Truman and Tommy Washington chipped in with two apiece.
In girl’s action, both teams scored 13 first quarter points and Port Gibson posted an 11-10 second quarter margin to lead by one, 24-23, at the half. The third quarter, however, would ultimately be the difference in the game as the visiting team stepped the tempo up another level.
Taking advantage of a seemingly winded Lady Indian squad, Port Gibson went on a pair of runs that turned the games momentum in their favor.
They opened the third quarter on a 12-2 run to stretch their one-point lead to 11 at the 4:20 mark of the quarter. Lady Indians Markita Little, Gabriella Campbell and Destiny Henderson each scored baskets over the next few minutes but Port Gibson closed out the quarter with a 7-0 run and led by 17 heading into the final frame.
Both teams scored 16 point in the fourth quarter, but the damage done in the third quarter was too much for the Lady Indians to overcome.
Campbell posted a double-double, 24 points and 10 rebounds, to lead Yazoo City.
Henderson joined Campbell in double figures with 13, followed by La’Nisha Richardson and Viauna Gates with four apiece and Little with three.
Yazoo City traveled to JFK on November 10, visits Vicksburg on November 15 before hosting rival Yazoo County on November 17.
