ABILENE, TX – Permian used its usual formula of pouncing on its opponent with defense while racking up transition points in the second quarter to claim a 70-58 victory over Arlington Lamar on Tuesday evening. A near capacity crown witnessed the 6A Area Round playoff at the Abilene Cooper gym, as the Panthers advanced to the Regional Quarterfinal.
The Mojo Machine found comfort in four shooters reaching double figures in the battle. Shy Stephens-Deary led all scorers with 26 points. Keyonta Johnson finished the night with 16 points, while Nakavieon White added 15 points. J.J. Vizcaino knocked down another 10 points.
Head coach Tim Thomas attributed the win to teamwork and continuing to play the Mojo brand of basketball. “The kids played a terrific second quarter and a good, tough, and resilient game overall. We shared the ball with 20 assists. The kids withstood the comeback attempt, foul trouble, tough calls, and bad breaks.”
Thomas thought Arlington Lamar was tough, well-coached, and resilient as well. He went on to say, “It was big, hard-fought win for our kids! We also had great support from our fans!“
The Vikings leaned heavily on LaBroderick Scott, with the junior forward scoring eight of Lamar’s 15 points in the opening frame. The Panthers answered with three buckets and a three from Stephens-Deary. Johnson and Vizcaino each added four points for Permian to own an 18-15 lead by quarter’s end.
The Mojo Machine opened it up in the second stanza, adding 20 points while limiting the Vikes to a mere four. White dropped three deuces through the cylinder, and Stephens-Deary rattled in another eight points to give Permian 38-19 lead at the intermission.
Lamar took full advantage of opportunities in the third quarter. Scott was able to pump in seven points from the free throw line in a 21-point quarter for the Vikings. The Panthers kept pace by slapping 16 points of their own on the scoreboard to maintain a 54-40 deficit. Johnson and Vizcaino combined their efforts to account for 12 of the Mojo points.
The District 2-6A representatives denied the boys from the Metroplex in the fourth and final frame. Permian secured its second gold playoff ball with the 70-58 decision. The Mojo Machine will continue into the Class 6A Regional Quarterfinal Round on Tuesday at Abilene High, where Permian will take on Arlington Martin at 7:00 p.m.
| BY QUARTER | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Lamar |
15 | 04 | 21 | 18 | 58 |
| Permian |
18 | 20 | 16 | 16 | 70 |
TOP SCORERS
Lamar
Scott 8 9-16 25, Robinson 2 5-5 9, Brady 4 0-0 8
Permian
Stephens-Deary 11 1-2 26, Johnson 6 4-5 16, White 5 4-6 15, Vizcaino 4 1-2 10
3-pt Goals:
Lamar – 2 (Powers 1, Johnson 1)
Permian – 6 (Stephens-Deary 3, White 1, Vizcaino 1, Pierce 1)
Free Throws:
Lamar – 16 of 25 (64%) | Permian – 10 of 15 (67%)
Team Fouls:
Lamar – 16 | Permian – 18
terry@permiansports.com | Follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @PermianSports