Pierce County’s Bears dropped two of three games to enter the Christmas sandwiching road losses around a home win.
The Bears (2-7) lost a 56-50 decision Moday, December 16 in Homerville to Clinch County. The Panthers have won the last two meetings with PCHS.
Pierce County followed with a thrilling 60-59 victory Tuesday, December 17 over visiting Jeff Davis for a split in the season series. The Yellow Jackets won the December 3 matchup in Hazlehurst 65-54. The two teams have split the last 16 encounters dating back to 2005-06.
PCHS fell 57-52 Friday, December 20 at Brantley County 57-52. The Herons lead the series 14-11 since 2012-13.
The two programs have split the previous two seasons. The largest margin of victory in the last eight games is eight points.
PCHS opens the new year Friday, January 3 going to Region 3-AA foe Tattnall County. Wayne County visits Bearville Saturday, January 4.
Clinch County........56 Bears.....................50 HOMERVILLE — Aaron Bryant blistered the nylons scoring a gamehigh 32 points leading the Panthers past PCHS.
Bryant scored 17 of his 23 second-half points in the fourth period. He was 11-of-16 from the charity stripe.
Pierce County claimed a 10-7 lead after one period. The Panthers fought back outscoring PCHS 13-10 in the second quarter to even the score at 20-all at intermission.
Clinch County followed with back-to-back threepoint scoring advantages in both the third and fourth quarters.
The Panthers outpointed the visitors 12-9 in the third stanza to take a 32-29 lead into the final eight minutes. The scoring pace quickened in the fourth period with Clinch County outscoring the Bears 24-21 Joe Drew (trey) was the lone double figure scorer for PCHS finishing with 13 points. Gabe Varnadore (two threes) and Brandon Williams followed with nine points and eight points respectively.
Nigel Brown chipped in seven points in his season debut. Jikeyse McGauley (trey) and Trent Griffin (trey) added five points each. Ahmad Arnold bagged three points.
Bears.....................60 Jeff Davis...............59 BEARVILLE — Drew’s final three points, his second trey of the game, proved to be the difference as PCHS escaped with the win over the Yellow Jackets.
Drew finished the night with a team-high 22 points. Malach Smith (two treys) led Jeff Davis with a game-high 27 points. His second trey provided the Yellow Jackets’ final points.
Jeff Davis raced out to a 21-15 lead through the opening eight minutes. The Yellow Jackets increased the margin by one in the second stanza outscoring Pierce County 1615 for a 37-30 halftime advantage.
PCHS sliced two points off the deficit in the third quarter outscoring the visitors 11-9 to trail 46-41. The Bears rally continued over the final eight minutes outscoring Jeff Davis 19-13 for the win.
Brown and McGauley (two threes) joined Drew in double figures scoring 11 points and 10 points respectively. Varnadore (trey) and Williams contributed five points and four points respectively.
Brantley County.....57 Bears .....................52 CANEY BAY — Brantley County rallied from a seven-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter closing the game on a 17-5 run to knock off the Bears.
“This was big for us to get this one after letting one slip away Tuesday night against Wayne County,” said Brantley County Coach Tripp Herrin. “We made 17-of-20 free throws and that was huge for us. Down 47-40 in the fourth quarter, we started chipping away.
“This is a good win for our team going into the Christmas break. You can’t look at Pierce County’s record (2-7) because they (Bears) played so many games without their football players. Pierce has a good team.”
PCHS doubled up the Herons 12-6 in the first quarter. Brantley County cut the deficit to 23-21 by intermission outscoring the Bears 15-11 in the second period.
The two teams were knotted at 39-all through three periods after the Herons outscored PCHS 18-16. Following an 8-1 Bears’ start to the final stanza for a 47-40 lead, Brantley County went on a final run capping an 18-13 scoring advantage.
Brown (four treys) paced PCHS with 16 points. Drew followed with 13 points. McGauley (two threes) and Varnadore (trey) each bagged six points. Arnold and Williams finished with four points apiece. Griffin (trey) added three points.
Patrick O’Quinn (two threes) scored a game-high 24 points with Tucker O’Quinn adding 14 points to lead Brantley County.
