By By KEVIN TRAVIS, Sports Editor
YEATESVILLE — Just when it appeared the Southside Seahawks had built a big enough lead to begin relaxing, the Northside Panthers staged a furious rally. That prompted Southside head coach Dwayne White to call a timeout with about two minutes to play, allowing him the chance to insert his big guns back into the lineup in Tuesday’s Atlantic Conference tilt.
Freshman Mychal Parker provided that last spark the Seahawks needed, scoring the team’s last seven points in a 61-52 victory.
The game was actually close throughout much of the game. Southside (6-6) and Northside (1-1) were tied eight different times and there were 12 lead changes over the first three quarters of play.
The Seahawks were finally able to gain some breathing room in the fourth quarter.
Northside and Southside also went back and forth in the girls game. However, the Panthers (5-7) seemed to turn it up a notch in the second half en route to a 55-48 win over the Seahawks (3-8).
In the boys game, both teams used the transition game in the first quarter for easy baskets, which saw the teams deadlocked at 14-apiece after eight minutes.
Northside and Southside traded baskets throughout the second until consecutive layups by Jeremiah Marable and Parker gave the Seahawks a 25-22 lead heading into the half.
Dontae Dixon promptly gave the lead back to Northside to start the second half, drilling a trey and a layup for a 27-25 advantage. After Marable tied the game by slashing to the basket, Parker threw down a one-handed slam for a 29-27 Southside lead.
Northside didn’t get rattled as Eric O’Neal and T.J. Slade hit consecutive buckets to give the lead back to the Panthers at 31-29. Southside tied the game for the eighth and final time at 31-31. Dionte Dixon then gave Southside the lead for good with a short jumper, making it 33-31. That helped the Seahawks use a 10-4 run to close the quarter, as the Seahawks led 39-35.
The Seahawks continued its momentum early in the fourth, outscoring the Panthers 14-4 to grab a 53-39 advantage.
With Southside leading 55-41, Northside made one last run. Lee Dail buried a triple and Anthony Martin converted a three-point play to cap an 8-0 spurt, pulling the Panthers within 55-49.
Parker, who led Southside with 26 points, came to the rescue with his seven-point flourish at the end. That included a monstrous two-handed jam.
Marable added 16 points for the Seahawks.
Martin paced Northside with 10 points.
While Southside travels to Williamston on Friday, Northside will play host to Camden in search of its second victory.
In the girls game, Raquel Wilson, Rakim Jordan and Lauren Rodriguez all scored in double figures for the Panthers. Wilson finished with 18 points, while Jordan had 17 and Rodriguez 12.
Quiesha Miller and Tujunia Keech paced Southside with 22 and 12 points, respectively.
It was Jordan’s play that helped spark a late Northside run in the first quarter. She scored six points in an 8-0 spurt to give the Panthers a 15-5 advantage.
The lead ballooned to 13, 21-8, early in the second quarter. However, Miller and Keech scored four apiece in a quarter-ending 10-0 run to pull Southside within 21-18.
Northside made some adjustments at the half.
Rodriguez buried a key 3-pointer early in the third and Wilson came up with some clutch baskets to help give the Panthers a 37-28 lead heading into the fourth.
Southside chipped away at its deficit, getting as close as 43-38 on a layup by Resla Penn.
Northside responded with a 9-1 spurt. A breakaway layup by Suzanne Lee, who finished with five points and 13 rebounds despite playing on a gimpy ankle, gave the Panthers a commanding 52-39 advantage.
The Seahawks pulled within six late in the game, but couldn’t get any closer.
Southside 14 11 14 22 — 61
Northside 14 8 13 17 — 52
Southside (61)
Mychal Parker 26, Jeremiah Marable 16, Holliday 5, C. Moore 5, Dixon 4, Ham 3, N. Moore 2.
Northside (52)
Anthony Martin 10, Dixon 9, Cox 8, E. O’Neal 6, Linton 6, Simmons 4, Slade 4, Dail 3, Pernov 2.
Girls
Southside 5 13 10 20 — 48
Northside 15 6 16 18 — 55
Southside (48)
Quiesha Miller 22, Tujunia Keech 12, Credle 4, Penn 4, Harding 2, Bragg 2, Marable 2.
Northside (55)
Raquel Wilson 18, Rakim Jordan 17, Lauren Rodriguez 12, Lee 5, Bennett 2, Burgess 1.