BOYS BASKETBALL: Junior Panthers roll into DMS rematch 18-0
Pinckneyville Junior High School got tuned up for Thursday's big rematch against Du Quoin Middle School with a comfortable 62-23 win at Trico on Monday with three Junior Panthers finishing in double figures in the scoring column.
It was another no-doubter for PJHS, their 18th win in a row to begin the 2015-16 season. The Junior Panthers led 11-4 midway through the opening period, then scored the next 27 points unanswered to close out the first half.
"The intensity was still there," said Pinckneyville head coach Haven Hicks. "The positioning was still there. We were rusty, a half step slow, a half step out of position, but for the most part we got out and did what we wanted to do. We wanted to shake the dust off, run hard, play hard, and get better as the game went on. I think we did."
Trico hit three three-pointers to start the second half and had four of them total in the third period, but it would barely put in dent in the deficit.
Hunter Riggins led PJHS with 13 points, Derek Rohlfing and Noah Carter each put in 10. Dawson Yates and Devin Kitchen both finished with 7 points, Dalton Kitchen, Ty Fleming and Colton Priebe each had 4, Trent Morgenstern 2 and Ben Restoff 1.
"We've got 6 or 7 guys that can score, and it makes us hard to guard," Hicks said. "They're unselfish, they share the ball, they pass it well. Tonight we got a lot of balls tipped that we usually don't get tipped, but again that's due to the rust from the holiday break. We're just lucky to get back and play a game and get tuned up. We've got five games left before regionals start and we want to be going in the up direction, not plateauing or going backwards."
The first of those five games is, without question, the biggest. On Thursday night in Pinckneyville, the Junior Panthers and the DMS Warriors will go toe-to-toe for their second meeting of the season in a matchup of two teams with state championship hopes in two different SIJHSAA classes.
"Last night was the last night I'll sleep until Thursday," Hicks joked. "A lot of hype goes with it, and rightfully so. Du Quoin is a terrifically talented ball club. They're fun to play. They're going to make us better, win, lose or draw we're going to be a better team after playing them. It's a very intense game, the rivalry is back, both teams are good. We're lucky they're on our schedule because we need to play games like that to get us tuned up for the postseason, and it's going to be a very postseason-like atmosphere."
A packed house watched the two teams square off back on December 1 when PJHS used a late 17-0 run to break open a tight ball game. The Warriors led 42-39 with 4:20 left in the game, but their big man, 6'4 Lomontay Daughtery, had just fouled out of the game. The Junior Panthers went on to win it 57-46 to stay unbeaten.
The rematch brings with it the same excitement as the first battle. Pinckneyville remains perfect on the season at 18-0, while Du Quoin (11-2) enters the game as winners of five straight, although they will have had three weeks off since defeating Marion on December 17.
"We've been looking forward to it, I know they have too," said Hicks. "It's just a good feeling to have that kind of passion and motivation to play again. For so long either they've been good, or we've been good, or neither of us have been very good. It's just a really good situation for these kids, both Pinckneyville and Du Quoin, to get to play in that kind of atmosphere. That's what basketball used to be like, and that's what we'd like to get it back to."
The seventh grade game tips off at 5:30 p.m. at Pinckneyville Junior High School this Thursday evening.