On Saturday night, the 28-0 Yazoo County Panthers took the court against a fiercely competitive Coahoma team who took them to the brink of their abilities, but when the final buzzer sounded, the Panthers had moved to 29-0 after defeating the Tigers 63-57.
When Ole Miss basketball legend Rahim Lockhart took the job at Yazoo County, the base was there to be successful early, but it has come so quickly and to such an extreme extent that no one could have foreseen it coming.
Still, each game is a test, and this last test much of the same: A strong team effort.
“I am satisfied with our guys, the effort,” Lockhart said. “I am always wanting more, but I really believe they gave me everything we needed to win this game. It was so much of a team effort that I feel like that’s what this year has been about.”
The battle between the Panthers and Tigers was competitive from the tip.
At the 3:45 mark in the first quarter, Coahoma held a 7-2 lead.
Yazoo County followed that up with a 6-0 run to take an 8-7 lead.
But the Tigers finished the quarter on a 7-4 run to take a 15-11 lead into the second quarter.
And so it went for the entirety of the game.
Although it has become cliché to say, it was truly a game of runs.
One such run could be seen early in the second quarter when the Panthers took a 20-19 lead with 4:52 left in the quarter.
With seconds to play, the Tigers fired up a 3-point attempt that sunk to the bottom of the basket, giving them a 31-28 lead at the half.
Like clockwork, the Panthers came out of the half and quickly tied things up at 32-32.
A huge dunk with 3:42 left both fired up the Yazoo County crowd and gave the Panthers a 38-34 lead.
Still, the Tigers refused to go quietly into the night. By the end of the third quarter, Yazoo County led 44-43.
After a few more lead changes, it was a 51-51 game with only 4:20 remaining in the game.
Free throws and layups allowed the Panthers to finally gain some cushion, putting them up 60-51.
But a 3-pointer from Coahoma made it a 60-54 game.
After two more free throws and another 3-pointer, it was a 62-57 game.
One final free throw effectively ended the game, allowing the Panthers to take another massive step toward their eventual goal with a 63-57 victory.
According to Lockhart, the atmosphere was that of a playoff game, and in his eyes, both teams could walk away with their heads held high.
“The game was very competitive,” Lockhart said. “Coahoma Ag came to play, and they came to win. The atmosphere was electric. The crowd was packed. Both fan bases were really into the game. It came down to the wire, but we were able to pull it out at the end. And that kind of game, the scoreboard says there is a winner and a loser, but watching that game with your eyes, there was no loser.”
The game was a win in multiple ways for Yazoo County.
They, of course, won the game, but they were also exposed to man defense and a high-pressure situation.
“They played a similar style of ball that we do,” Lockhart said. “They like to run. They like to get out and put man-to-man pressure on you, which was different from what we’re used to. We’re not used to playing teams that play like that, so it was refreshing to have an opportunity to play against a team that plays man, but it was challenging because it was one of those games where anyone could have won.”
The Panthers will continue their march toward perfection on Thursday night when they travel to face Nettleton.
Nettleton (26-4) barely held on to defeat North Panola 62-60 to set up the highly-anticipated match-up between the two #1 seeds.
While Nettleton will pose a monumental threat to the Panthers, Lockhart has his eyes set on the Big House.
“We only have three potential games left,” Lockhart said. “This will be the third-round playoff game, and then after that game, when we win, we will be in the semi-finals of the state playoffs. And after that game, when we win, we will be participating in the state championship.”
