PINETOWN — Northside’s 76th, 77th and 87th points meant little to a game that saw the Panthers manhandle Southside, 92-54. They did, however, mean the world to senior Jason Pastore and the Northside community as a whole.

Pastore, the team’s four-year manager, suited up for the first and last time on senior night. The crowd had been clamoring for Pastore throughout the game. With the Panthers leading 75-40 after three quarters, he was sent to the timekeeper’s table to check in.

Pastore said he was nervous about hitting the hardwood for the first time. It didn’t look like it, though. He quickly drew a shooting foul and went 2-for-2 on his first-ever trip to the free-throw line. He made another free throw later on to finish his only game with three points.

“I kind of just jokes around,” Pastore said of how he managed his nerves. “I just didn’t want to miss (the free throws).”

For the Panthers, it was a way to honor someone who has put a lot into the basketball program for the last four years.

“He’s the hardest working manager you’ve ever seen,” Northside coach Gerry Klas said. “Sometimes you don’t appreciate a person until they’re gone. We’re going to say, ‘Oh gosh, what did we lose.’ He’s really a gem. We thought about it earlier in the year. Coach (Mike) Proctor talked about it, and all the other coaches, we wanted to get him in the last game. … That’s what high school and athletics is all about. A lot of people forget that and some people take it too seriously. … In a community like this, when you have something like this, it’s something big.”

Southside coach Sean White added, “That’s a great thing to happen. We’ve got one or two guys on our bench that don’t get much playing time. We relish the opportunity to be able to get them in.”

The Seahawks led just twice early in the game before Northside took over. Demetrius Ebron’s 3-pointer from the corner gave them a 7-5 advantage, but the Panthers rattled of the game’s next 10 points to take the lead it wouldn’t surrender. Freshman point guard Rashod Smith did well distributing the ball to fuel the run.

A John Bryant triple brought the visitors as close as 24-21, but Northside’s size advantage made it hard for Southside to keep up. The Panthers dominated the glass for a plethora of second-chance opportunities.

“I think our defense was lacking a bit. About rebounding, we talked about that at halftime,” White said. “They were getting second and third chances under the basket.”

Those extra scoring opportunities and a trey by Smith drove an 18-2 spurt that gave the Panthers a 44-25 lead at halftime. Shahiem Brewington’s long-range buzzer beater at the end of the third put them ahead by 35, allowing them to coast through the final eight minutes.

“We executed. We didn’t make what I call stupid mistakes,” Klas said. “I think our shot selection was good. The biggest thing was I told them it’s senior night and not to leave anything. Leave it all and everything will be positive.”

Southside will have to regroup before traveling to Jones Senior for the first round of the 1-A Coastal Plains Conference tournament on Tuesday. White said the Seahawks will spend time on breaking the Trojans’ press.

Northside faces a quicker turnaround. The Panthers will host Lejeune on Monday.