PCHS opens region tourney vs. Crisp
BEARVILLE — Surging Pierce County closed out the regular season with consecutive home wins giving the Bears five victories in their last seven games.
PCHS (8-13 overall, 3-5 Region 3-AA) routed visiting Cook 65-23 Friday, February 7 on Senior Night clinching a state tournament berth. The win gave the Bears a split in the season series after falling 7268 January 7 in Adel. The loss was the fourth in a row and seventh in eight games for the Hornets (4-19, 2-6).
The Bears followed with a come-from-behind 51-45 win over Brantley County (14-9) Saturday, February 8 for a season split. The Herons escaped with a 5752 home victory December 20.
Brantley County has not posted a season sweep of Pierce County since recording four consecutive sweeps from 2013-14 through 2016-17.
The third-seed Bears face off with second-seed Crisp County (20-5, 7-1), winners in nine of its last 10 games, today (Wednesday, February 12) in a region semifinal matchup at Tattnall County. The consolation game (5:30 p.m.) and championship game (8:30 p.m.) will be contested Friday, February 14 in Reidsville.
Bears ......................65 Cook .......................23
The Bears outscored Cook 47-13 over the final three periods in blowing the game open.
Joe Drew (two threes) led a season-high 10 PCHS players in the scoring column scoring a game high 19 points. He banged home 12 points during a third quarter blitz.
Pierce County led 18-10 following the first eight minutes connecting on four of their season-high 10 three-pointers. The Bears added five points to their margin during the second quarter outscoring Cook 11-6 for a 29-16 halftime lead.
PCHS matched its first half production in the third period outscoring the Hornets 29-4 to stretch the margin to 58-20 bringing on the “mercy rule.” The Bears outpointed Cook 7-3 in the fourth quarter.
Brandon Williams followed Drew’s lead with nine points. Nigel Brown (trey) finished with seven points.
Ahmad Arnold, Gabe Varnadore (two treys) and Trent Griffin (two treys) each netted six points. Chaz Armstrong chipped in four points.
Jamil Strickland and Marshon Stanford contributed three points apiece. Ryan Pittman finished with two points.
Bears ............................................................51 Brantley County ...........................................45
Pierce County rallied from a two-point deficit through three periods outscoring the Herons by eight points for the victory.
Shooting woes and turnovers plagued the two teams in the first quarter which ended in an 8-5 PCHS lead. Brantley County battled back to take a 16-15 lead in the final seconds before the Bears’ Stanford (10 points) drained a buzzer-beating three for an 18-16 halftime lead.
Brantley County surpassed its first-half production during the third quarter outpointing PCHS 18-14 to lead 34-32 entering the fourth period. The Bears closed on a 19-11 scoring run for the win.
Brown (three treys) led a trio Pierce County players in double figures scoring 12 of his team-high 14 points over the final eight minutes. Varnadore (four treys) finished with 13 points.
Drew (two treys) dropped in nine points. Williams finished with four points while Arnold netted two points.
Patrick O’Quinn (trey) was the lone double-figure scorer for the Herons finishing with a game-high 17 points.
