By BILL BURRUS
Sports Editor
MENDENHALL — Just a day after a bad-looking loss, the Lady Mustangs almost had an even worse collapse.
But in the end, the Pillow Academy girls found a way to hold off a hard-charging East Rankin Academy team for a 57-52 win Saturday in the State AAAA, Division II Tournament consolation game at Simpson Academy. The Lady Mustangs (27-4) keep their season alive with the victory, advancing to next week’s MAIS Overall Tournament.
The bracket for the Overall tournament wasn’t set at the time this story was written, but PA will play the State AA champion in the opening round.
PA led by 20 at the half, 34-14, but ERA used a 10-0 run in the fourth period to pull within one with 41 seconds to play at 53-52. But Pillow held the Lady Patriots scoreless the rest of the way, and Kaylee Jones hit a key bucket late to give the Lady Mustangs a five-point cushion.
“I am extremely proud of our girls’ effort and determination today,” said veteran PA coach Durwin Carpenter. “Our defense was very intense and aggressive. It was evident they were not ready for their season to end. We played much better today.”
“We need to get focused and ready to make a run at Overall. These girls have what it takes to do that if we do the little things right.”
Just 24 hours after its worst offensive outing of the season (32 points and 22 percent shooting from the field in a 17-point semifinal loss to Lamar), the Lady Mustangs came out on fire in the first half, scoring 21 more points in the first half than they did in first three quarters on Friday.
PA shot 47 percent (23-for-51) from the floor on Saturday. The only bad news was the team remained ice cold from beyond the arc, hitting just 1 of 11 on 3-pointers. PA was 2-of-16 from long range in the semifinal loss to Lamar.
Sophomore Caroline Brock went 6-of-12 from the field to finish with a team-high 15 points for Pillow. She also had six rebounds, three of which came on the offensive end as the Lady Mustangs, who had 13 boards on the offensive end for the game.
After being held to just five points the day before, senior Jane Rob Pannell showed up and showed out. She had 14 points, eight rebounds, eight steals and three assists to make sure her PA career kept going. Fellow senior Catherine Grace Lary did her part as well, recording six points, four boards and three assists.
“I am so proud of my team for going out there and giving 100 percent,” Pannell said. “We had more energy than them, and it showed. We beat them down the court and got fast-break layups, and that was a game- changer.”
Jones, a sophomore, finished with 11 points and five rebounds. Freshman Ann Taylor Hudson had seven points, six rebounds and five assists.
Pannell and Jones were named to the all-tournament team.
Pillow enters next week looking for its first Overall title since 2005 and the fourth of Carpenter’s 24 years at the helm of the PA girls basketball program.
nContact Bill Burrus at 581-7237 or bburrus@gwcommonwealth.com.
