By Curtis Rockwell, Sports Editor
The Picayune Item
BAY ST. LOUIS —
Poplarville's winning ways on the road came to an abrupt halt Friday night.
The visiting Hornets missed 20 of their first 21 shots from the field, falling behind 18-2 in the process, and never recovered as Bay High belted Poplarville 70-50 in the Tigerdome.
The Poplarville boys had won their first two Region 8-4A games, both on the road before Christmas break, but never managed to get in this one.
Thanks in part to Poplarville's cold shooting, Bay High jumped out to a 12-2 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Hornets were 1-of-15 from the field in the first frame, and managed only a putback basket by Nigel Wood.
The Tigers extended that lead to 18-2 to open the second stanza, before the Hornets made a little noise.
Rojaie Raine scored six points in the quarter, including two consecutive jumpers, to cut the deficit to 20-10 mid-way through the period. However, Bay High's Justus Williams tallied nine straight points, including a long 3-pointer, to make it 29-10 Bay with 3:09 left before halftime.
Williams, Bay High's all-state running back on the football field, scored 15 points in the first half and the Tigers went to intermission up 32-16.
Poplarville never got closer than that 16 point margin in the second half.
Williams poured in a game high 26 to led Bay High. Raine paced Poplarville with 15 points while Alex Travis chipped in 14 points for the Hornets.
Poplarville hurt itself at the free throw line as well, making just seven of 17 shots from the charity strip.
In the girls game, Bay High took a 64-8 win to remain unbeaten at 20-0. Christa Reed had a game high 16 points for the Lady Tigers, while Poplarville transfer Bretta Hart scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for Bay High in her first game against her former school.
Four different players sank a single basket each for the Lady Hornets.
In the only local action today, Picayune's girls face Hancock at 2 p.m., at Gulfport High in the Lady Admiral Classic.
