Southwest DeKalb’s Brooklyn Scrubb (20) dribbles inside of St. Pius’ Annabelle Sheridan (32) during second half action of the Lady Panther’s Region 5-5A 48-41 loss on Friday night. (Photo by Mark Brock
Southwest DeKalb had a tough night rebounding at Senior Night for St. Pius X on the way to a pair of Region 5-5A losses in the regular season finales on Friday night.
A 39-19 rebounding deficit proved costly to the region leading Southwest DeKalb Lady Panthers (16-9, 15-1) as the St. Pius Lady Golden Lions (16-9, 14-2) got more opportunities with the ball and limited the number of shots Southwest got in the game.
The difference off the glass really started to show up in the third quarter as the two teams entered the second half knotted at 21-21. St. Pius used a 9-3 rebounding edge in the third quarter to pull ahead 37-32 heading into the final quarter of play.
Alex Schiavo was the catalyst with seven points in a three-minute span, including a three-pointer with 4:00 left in the period to push the lead to 31-24.
Londyn Durden cut the lead to four with a shot from the right wing with 52 seconds left in the quarter, but a basket by Annabelle Sheridan with 20 seconds on the clock hit a layup to help St. Pius to the five-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.
A three-pointer by Alex Jackson and a basket by Aalon Turner on a nice entry pass by Jackson cut the lead to 41-40 with 3:19 to play in the game.
St. Pius answered with a 7-1 run to finish the game aided by a pair of offensive rebounds and hitting 5 of 10 from the free throw line as the Panthers were forced to foul late.
Londyn Durden led the Panthers with 10 points in the game and Alex Jackson added 9 points and 5 rebounds. St. Pius got an 11-point, 10 rebound performance out of Alexia Kenah, 9 points and 12 rebounds from Payton O’Bryant and nine points and 8 rebounds from Kelly Stephinson.
Southwest DeKalb’s Xzaviah Taylor (1) drives the baseline against St. Pius’ Eamon Kenah (5). (Photo by Mark Brock)
BOYS: St. Pius X 57, SW DeKalb 49
St. Pius used a similar formula in the boy’s contest outrebounding Southwest DeKalb 30-20 along with some pinpoint shooting from behind the three-point arc on the way to a 57-49 victory.
The Golden Lions (22-3, 15-1) opened the game hitting four three-pointers, two by Grant Rowe to open the game and two more by Eamon Kenah to get out to a 14-8 lead with just about 1:30 left on the first quarter clock.
Xzaviah Taylor’s layup pulled the Panthers (19-6, 13-3) within 14-10 with 52 seconds remaining in the quarter, but Spencer Elliott got a layup with one second to left to give St. Pius a 16-10 lead heading into the second quarter.
Andrew Oliver hit a t here-pointer with three-minutes in the half to give St. Pius a 30-12 advantage to complete a 10-0 run. Ethan Harman’s basket with 31 seconds to go in the first half sent the Lions into the break up 32-15.
Pius extended the lead to 48-27 after three quarters by using its rebounding prowess to build on its lead as six different players scored in the quarter and Rowe added his third three-pointer of the night.
The Panthers went on a 10-0 run in the final 1:51 of the game led by seven points by Messiah Morgan, one three, and a three pointer by Devon Long to close the gap to the final 8 eight points.
Xzaviah Taylor finished with 16 points and 9 rebounds to lead the Panthers and Isaiah Taylor added 10. Eamon Kenah hit for 14 points to lead St. Pius and Grant Rowe added 13.