DeSoto Central and Lewisburg returned to Region 1-7A basketball action Friday, with the Jaguars and Lady Jags coming up winners in both games. The Jaguars held off the Patriots 62-54 after the Lady Jags throttled the Lady Patriots 54-14.
Behind a balanced scoring attack and a resilient defensive effort, DeSoto Central held off a late surge from Lewisburg to secure a 62-54 victory on Friday night.
Shaun Banger led the Jaguars with 15 points, while Hunter Avant added 14 in a contest defined by defensive runs and high-pressure situations in the closing minutes.
Lewisburg jumped out to an early 14-12 lead after the first quarter, fueled by eight points from Beckett Haley. However, DeSoto Central found its rhythm in the second frame, tightening its defensive rotations and outscoring the Patriots 15-7 to take a 27-21 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Jaguars extended that momentum into the third quarter, stretching the lead to 46-35. Langston Simpson and Avant combined for 10 points in the period, providing the cushion DeSoto Central would ultimately need.
The Patriots refused to go away quietly in the fourth. Led by Chance Grantham, who finished with a game-high 17 points, Lewisburg cut the deficit to five points on three separate occasions.
“I thought we stretched it a couple times and were going to be able to kind of pull away, and they just kept fighting,” said DeSoto Central head coach Blake Orman. “I give credit to our guys; they learned from some mistakes. We knew we had to continue to attack and play to win, not play not to lose.”
KJ Moore and Simpson helped stabilize the Jaguars in the final minutes, scoring four points each on free throws in the fourth quarter to seal the eight-point win.
Orman praised the offensive diversity of his leading scorers, noting that Banger is evolving beyond being just a perimeter threat.
“Banger shot it really well, and he’s doing a good job of attacking,” Orman said. “We’ve talked to him a lot about—you’re not just a shooter, you’re a basketball player. Hunter [Avant] just finds a way in transition. He’s a talented scorer.”
Despite the win, Orman noted that the Jaguars still have “more in the tank” as they prepare for a quick turnaround.
DeSoto Central doesn’t have much time to celebrate. The Jaguars travel to face Saltillo tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. Lewisburg will look to bounce back against New Site at the same Saltillo classic.
White sparks DeSoto Central girls in dominant win over Lewisburg
Moriah White exploded for a game-high 20 points, including a blistering third-quarter performance, to lead the DeSoto Central Lady Jaguars to a 54-14 victory over the Lewisburg Lady Patriots on Friday night.
The Lady Jags established dominance early and never looked back, utilizing a suffocating defense that held Lewisburg scoreless for the majority of the first quarter.
Moriah White led all scorers with 20 points for DeSoto Central.
DeSoto Central opened the game on an 8-0 run, forcing a Lewisburg timeout less than four minutes into the contest. The opening frame ended with both teams headed to their benches believing the quarter had concluded, but there was still only to 0.3 seconds. Lewisburg’s McKenzie Watkins sank a free throw upon returning to the floor, marking the Lady Patriots’ only point of the period.
By halftime, DeSoto Central had extended its lead to 28-7, fueled by early contributions from White, Lakelynn Knight, and Sara Doyne. Watkins led the Lewisburg effort in the first half with four points.
The third quarter belonged to White. After scoring seven points in the first half, she caught fire from deep, draining three 3-pointers and accounting for 13 of the Lady Jags’ 20 points in the period. The scoring outburst pushed the lead to 48-14 heading into the final frame.
DeSoto Central’s defense remained relentless in the fourth quarter, pitching a shutout over the final eight minutes while Brianna Clayborn and Paris Hooper added baskets to finalize the 40-point margin.
Bob Bakken provides content for DeSoto County News and its social media channels. He is an award-winning broadcaster, along with being a reporter and photographer, and has done sports media relations work with junior and minor league hockey teams. Along with his reports on this website, you will find this veteran media member providing sports updates on Rebel 95.3 FM Radio.
