BOYS BASKETBALL: Pinckneyville beats A-J for fifth straight win

Pinckneyville used a 17-0 spurt at the end of the first half and beginning of the second to build a big lead on Anna-Jonesboro Tuesday night, then held on at the end for a 49-41 victory, their fifth straight.

"We really pushed the ball and got out in transition, got some easy looks," said Panthers head coach Bob Waggoner. "Defensively, I thought we were good the whole game, holding them to 41 points. It's just a difference of us understanding how to play with the lea. We took some quick shots that came back to get us because we weren't hitting the open looks, and we had a lot of open looks."

PCHS led 10-4 in the first quarter before the Wildcats made a run to take a 12-11 lead into the second period. But with Pinckneyville ahead 19-16, A-J's offense disappeared against the pressure of the Panthers' defense.

Alex Howard scored all seven of his points at the end of the opening half, including a conventional three-point play, as part of a 9-0 run to finish off the second quarter for PCHS.

Out of the break, the Panthers' run continued, with Sam Simpson completing a three-point play and Clayton Houghland connecting from beyond the arc to complete the 17-0 run and make it 36-16 Pinckneyville.

A-J again made a comeback, but never got it down to a two-possession game in the closing minutes. PCHS's Jackson Brand made 4-of-6 at the free throw line in the final minute to put the game away.

"Jackson Brand is a confident free throw shooter, he gets in there and makes shots," Waggoner said. "We just have to make sure we know how to finish games when teams are up trapping and being aggressive at the end."

Simpson led the way for Pinckneyville with 15 points, Houghland added a dozen. Howard and Grant Jausel each had 7 points, Brand had 4, and J.C. Moll and Caulden Lazenby each finished with 2.

The Panthers (7-2, 3-0) get five days off before returning to action on Monday at the Duster Thomas Hoops Classic in Pinckneyville. They'll take on Red Bud at 9 a.m. in the Auxiliary Gymnasium at PCHS.