BOSSIER CITY, La. - The Panola College Ponies outscored the Bossier Parish Community College Cavaliers 16-8 in overtime to capture a 93-85 Region XIV East Zone victory Wednesday at the Coach Billy Montgomery Gym.
The majority of Panola's points in overtime came at the free throw line as the Ponies connected on 28-of-40 free throws in the game. Guard Kelyn Pennie scored 22 points in the game, including 10 points (10-for-10) from the free throw line. Three other Ponies reached double figures in the game, including Jermaine Dewey, who scored a game-high 23 points. Kamari Brown, who was 5-of-6 from three-point range, finshed with 19 points, while Stanton Rose added 10.
BPCC also had four players reach double figures, including Will LaPoole with 17. Paul King chipped in with 16 points, while Allen Hatchett, Jr. added 11, and Charlie Cochran finished with 10.
Trailing 77-72 with just 21 seconds left, the Cavaliers put together an improbable 5-0 run to tie the game at 77 and send it to overtime. Aaron Gregg's putback off a Cochran miss tied the game with two seconds remaining. Pennie's desperation three at the horn was off the mark sending the game to the extra frame.
Gregg's game-tying basket was set up by some good fortune for BPCC. With seven seconds left in the game, and LaPoole at the free throw line, BPCC had a chance to cut the Panola lead to one. LaPoole made the first free throw but missed the second. On the rebound Panola's Christopher Corley had it go off his hands and out of bounds. That set up an in-bounds play underneath the Cavaliers' basket. Gregg got the ball into Cochran's hands in the lane, but he couldn't make the shot. Fortunately for BPCC, Gregg was there for the rebound and putback.
Panola jumped out to a 15-point lead (34-19) in the first half mainly to the red hot three-point shooting of Brown, who was 5-for-5 in the first half. The Ponies made nine three's in the first half and led 43-39 at the break.
Despite playing without their leading scorer in forward Diamante Brown, the Cavaliers would hang around until Joshua Davis buried a three-pointer with 4:51 left in the game to give BPCC its first lead at 67-66. Davis' three pointer capped off an 8-1 BPCC run. Seizing the momentum, the Cavs would increase their lead to 69-66 on a King field goal.
After a timeout, the Ponies would shift the momentum back in their favor. Pennie was fouled on a three-point attempt, and would sink all three free throws to tie the game at 69. Fourteen seconds later, Pennie would give Panola a two-point lead on a driving layup.
With the win, Panola improves to 17-5 overall and 7-4 in Region XIV, while the loss drops BPCC to 13-8 overall and 7-5 in region play. The Cavaliers return to action on Sat., February 1, when they play host to the Panthers of Lake Houston School of Business and Technology. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. here.
