Odessa, TX – In a battle of district unbeatens, the Mojo Machine grabbed a quick 38-26 halftime lead over San Angelo Central and blew it open in the second half. The Panthers picked up another district win with a 80-52 thumping of the Bobcats on Tuesday evening at the Permian Fieldhouse.
After an evenly contested opening quarter, Permian held a slight 18-15 lead. The Mojo Machine eased into its groove to possess a lead they would never relinquish. Powered by a solid defensive effort, the Black Cats broadened their lead as the game played out.
Shy Stephens-Deary racked up a game-high 28 points in Permian’s offensive assault. Sophomores Race Herr and Tremayne Baty recorded 17 and 10 points respectively. Coach Tim Thomas saw the victory as a team win as the Panthers continue to improve. “We’ve seen improvement in each game over the last couple of weeks. We’re playing with togetherness and we’re playing with tenacity.”
One of the more noticeable improvements came from the free throw line where Permian made 13-of-17 attempts. Central finished 15-of-23.
Scoring for the Panthers was distributed more evenly in the second frame, with Cedric Baty, Tremayne Baty, and Zay Pierce each adding four points. Herr and Stephens-Deary also donated four each. The 20-point quarter would give Permian a 38-26 halftime advantage.
The Mojo Machine turned in yet another dominating third quarter performance to extend its lead over the Bobcats. Stephens-Deary slapped eight points on the scoreboard to assist in matching Permian’s second period 20-point output. The more consistent effort can be greatly attributed to more quality shot attempts and a team effort consisting of unselfish assists. Statistically, the Black Cats finished the night leading in assists, rebounds, steals, and blocked shots.
Seven Panthers were responsible for baskets in the final stanza, led by Stephens-Deary with another nine points. The Bobcats simply had no answer and failed to keep pace down the stretch. The visitors were able to top the 50-point mark on the last shot of the game. The buzzer beater bounced off the cylinder, kissed the back board, and fell into the hoop for the 3-pointer to push the total to 52. Permian improves its district record to 3-0, while Central falls to 1-1. Frenship is currently 2-0 (11-4 for the season).
The Panthers (11-3) will be on the road again next Tuesday with a short trip east to Lee. The Mojo Machine is slated to roll into Midland for a date with the Rebels (7-3) on January 12. Lee lost a 67-65 nail-biter to Midland High in their crosstown rival game tonight.
| BY QUARTER | |||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| Central |
15 | 11 | 10 | 16 | 52 |
| Permian |
18 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 80 |
Fouls: Central – 19 | Permian – 16
FTs: Cen – 15 of 23 (65%) | Per – 13 of 17 (76%)
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
Central
B Campbell 7 10-12 24, R Ortiz 4 3-6 11, V Lara 2 0-0 6, N Gideon 2 0-0 5, J Yates 1 2-4 4, J Rowe-Pearce 1 0-0 2
Permian
S Stephens-Deary 13 1-2 28, R Herr 7 2-3 17, T Baty 4 2-2 10, B Saldivar 3 1-1 8, C Baty 1 3-5 5, Z Pierce 1 2-2 4, C Calicutt 1 2-3 4, R Hall 1 0-0 2, C Davis 1 0-0 2
3-Pts:
Central – 3 (Lara 2, Gideon 1)
Permian – 3 (Stephens-Deary 1, Salvidar 1, Herr 1)