Abernathy, TX – The Panthers needed the trip to the South Plains to get back into their winning ways. The Mojo Machine jumped out to a 37-15 halftime lead and rolled past Abernathy 61-34 in the Antelope Gym on Tuesday evening.
Permian used an efficient three-prong assault in the effort. Zay Pierce gave Mojo the spark in the opening frame, followed by Race Herr in the second quarter. Tremayne sprinkled in points along the way. All three finished with a team-high 11 points.
The Panthers racked up a quick 22-3 first period advantage, and then added another 15 points in the second frame. The Antelopes kept the game competitive and had their best quarter scoring 12 points. The Mojo Machine possessed a 37-15 lead at the break. Abernathy failed to narrow the difference from there.
Freshman Ben Saldivar led all scorers in the third frame with seven points, including rattling in a three from the perimeter. Zach Leija dropped another trey through the cylinder as part of a 14-point quarter for Permian. It would also extend the deficit to 51-27. Abernathy gave it a valiant effort but simply could not keep pace.
The Panthers out-fired the Antelopes 6-to-3 in the three-ball department. Permian was also able to manipulate the final eight minutes of the game with better ball control. Joe Aguilar led the fourth quarter scoring with five points to closeout the game with the Black Cats on top 61-34. It was a more focused and higher level of play than seen in last week’s appearances by the Panthers.
The Mojo Machine will once again be on the road on Friday, when it visits Wall to close out the non-district road show. Permian will begin District 2-6A play with the first of two crosstown rivalry games with Odessa High. The first will be played at the OHS Gymnasium on December 22 with a 6:00 p.m. tip. More information on attendance guidelines will be posted this coming weekend.
| BY QUARTER | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Permian | 22 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 61 |
| Abernathy |
03 | 12 | 12 | 07 | 34 |
Fouls: Permian – 18 | Abernathy – 15
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
Key: Player Name / Goals / FT Made – Attempt / Total Points
Permian
Z Pierce 3 3-4 11, R Herr 3 5-6 11, T Baty 4 2-2 11, B Saldivar 4 0-0 9, K Moreno 3 0-1 6, J Aguilar 2 0-0 5, Z Leija 1 0-0 3, C Davis 1 0-2 2, D McGee 1 0-0 2
Abernathy
B Brown 5 2-2 12, S Rodriguez 2 0-0 6, A White 1 3-4 5, M Reyes 2 0-0 4, S Bender 1 0-0 3, M DeAnda 1 0-1 2, C Vandygriff 1 0-0 2
3-Pts:
Permian – 6 (Pierce 2, Baty 1, Saldivar 1, Leija 1, Aguilar 1)
Abernathy – 3 (Rodriguez 2, Bender 1)