Weekend sports: Quistors battle past Jaguars at DeSoto Central
What began as a seeming blowout snoozer in favor of the Olive Branch Conquistadors at DeSoto Central Friday night, quickly became a charged atmosphere inside Shan Whiteside Memorial Gymnasium.
That’s when, trailing at one time by 25 points, coach Blake Orman’s Jaguars suddenly caught fire in the fourth quarter, knocking down shot after shot to get the Quistor lead down to 56-45 with four minutes remaining.
The electricity in the building quickly got supercharged, however, with about two minutes left, when a foul was called by one of three officials on Olive Branch’s Trey Wall, and the call would be Wall’s fifth personal foul, forcing him to leave the game.
But, another official stepped in to say the guilty party was actually Caleb Hunt, not Wall. The dispute set off a lengthy discussion that included both coaches, Orman and Olive Branch’s Eric Brombaugh, both pleading their cases from their benches, and the officials going back-and-forth trying to make the right call. Meanwhile, the tense electricity in the gym from the confusion could have powered a city for the night, especially as DeSoto Central sensed their team could make the ultimate comeback.
The foul call was also important because a call against Wall would give free throws to the Jaguars, while what was being called against Hunt was a player control foul that would just give the ball back to DeSoto Central.
Eventually it was determined Wall was guilty, DeSoto Central got their free throws and the momentum from the whole episode pushed the home team even closer before time ran out the Olive Branch left with a hard-fought 67-57 victory.
It was all Quistors in the first quarter, as the Jaguars were held to a basket and two free throws. Olive Branch took a 21-4 lead into the second quarter of action and led 32-18 at halftime.
It was 55-31 Olive Branch after three quarters and it looked like the night was done before the huge Jaguar comeback in the final eight minutes of the game.
For the Quistors, Wall scored 14 points before leaving as a result of the disputed foul call in the fourth quarter. Hunt also scored 14 for Olive Branch and Zahir Gutierrez added 10.
Jacob Curtis led all scorers with 16 points for DeSoto Central and KJ Patrick added 14.
OLIVE BRANCH GIRLS 38, DESOTO CENTRAL 35: The Olive Branch girls started the basketball evening with a 38-35 win over their county rivals. Like the boys, Friday’s game for the girls meant little past bragging rights because both athletic programs are now in different classes, DeSoto Central in 7A and Olive Branch in 6A.
The Lady Quistors held a 15-5 lead over the Lady Jags after one quarter and the lead became 26-16 at halftime. Although DeSoto Central crept within seven points in the third quarter, Olive Branch took a 14-point margin into the final eight minutes of play at 37-23. But, the Lady Jags held Olive Branch to just one point in the final quarter and had late chances before falling to Olive Branch. The one point was a Vadailja Pimpton free throw, one of eight points she scored before leaving the contest on fouls later in the period.
For the game, Brianna Black scored 10 points for Olive Branch, as did Gabriella Bowen. Londen Armstrong had 10 points for DeSoto Central and Reagan Dale had eight second half point, including a pair of three-point baskets.
Friday, Dec. 8
Prep boys basketball
Olive Branch 67, DeSoto Central 57
Southaven 78, Oxford 70
Horn Lake 50, Lewisburg 42
Lake Cormorant 62, Saltillo 55
Center Hill 87, Grenada 57
Northpoint Christian 68, Lee Academy 33
- Northpoint leading scorers: Ayden Kelly (18), Myles Colom (10)
Prep girls basketball
Olive Branch 38, DeSoto Central 35
Oxford 59, Southaven 50
Lewisburg 49, Horn Lake 13
- Allison Irby scored 17 points and Allie Carroll added 16 for Lewisburg.
Lake Cormorant 62, Saltillo 36
Center Hill 75, Grenada 53
- Center Hill leading scorers: Leah Leasure (20), Anniya Bailey (17), Jairya Rankins (16), Madison Hughes (15)
Northpoint Christian 52, St. Agnes 43
- Northpoint leading scorers: Nailah Herrera (14), Sarah Jane Stroud (10)
Prep boys soccer
Olive Branch 2, Grenada 1
Center Hill 7, South Panola 0
DeSoto Central 4, Magnolia Heights 1
Prep girls soccer
Olive Branch 2, Grenada 0
Center Hill 6, South Panola 0
JUCO men’s basketball
Northwest CC 76, Motlow State 63
- Darren Davis scores 30 points for the Rangers in the win.
Saturday, Dec. 9
Prep boys’ basketball
Regular season
Ridgeway 69, Northpoint Christian 42
Biggersville Classic
Lewisburg 53, West Bolivar 33
DeSoto Central 62, New Site 60
Booneville 69, Olive Branch 52
Coahoma County 47, Southaven 41
SPORTS ETC.: The Red Team defeated that Blue Team 30-14 to win the AutoZone Liberty Bowl High School All-Star Game played Saturday afternoon at Memphis University School. The game featured top prep players from the Memphis metropolitan area and Northpoint Christian School, which was represented by lineman Brett Whitten on the Blue squad.
The win by the Red Team extends their lead in the overall series to 12-9.
Lewisburg won the team championship at the Oxford Chargers Challenge meet today.
