On Tuesday night the Picayune Maroon Tide opened day one of the 5A Region 7 Basketball Tournament against the West Harrison Hurricanes. A slow start for the Maroon Tide kept the Hurricanes in the game through one quarter, but a hot shooting performance from junior Joshua Holmes left the Hurricanes with no answers for a comeback.

 

“We didn’t start well, but we managed to pick up our tempo and do the things we do,” said Picayune boys basketball Head Coach Eric Vianney. “We were fortunate to make a few shots here and there and that allowed us to pick up our tempo.”

 

In the first quarter, the Hurricanes snuck a 5-0 lead. Holmes made his first of six threes on the night, and sophomore Niquis Ratcliff added a layup to tie the score up at 5-5. The rest of the quarter was all Holmes for the Maroon Tide. Holmes added 9 points giving the Maroon Tide the lead at the end of the quarter.

 

Up 15-9 in the second quarter, Ratcliff scored back-to-back and junior Jahieim Everett cashed in a floater for a Maroon Tide 21-9 lead. The Hurricanes made a few shots of their own to bring the score to 24-14. But the Maroon Tide made a 5-2 run to end the half.

 

In the third quarter the Maroon Tide led 29-16. Senior Isaiah Ramsey’s assist to Holmes enhanced the Maroon Tide’s lead to 31-16. Junior Troy Carter got on the board with a jumper, and an and-one finish by Freshmen Dakeith Quinn grew the lead to 41-22 with two minutes to play. At the end of the quarter, the Maroon Tide was on top 45-22.

 

In the fourth quarter, the Maroon Tide managed to push to a 55-32 lead with less than four minutes left in the game. A layup and pull up three by sophomore Jaden Hart brought the lead to 60-34. Both teams went back and forth, but the Maroon Tide inevitably pulled out the 64-39 win over the Hurricanes.

 

Holmes finished with 24 points off six three pointers.

When asked how he got into that rhythm, his response was, “Just being confident in what I can do and play basketball, that’s all,” he said.

 

In other scoring action for the Maroon Tide, Ratcliff finished with 8 points and Everett finished with 7 points.

Next for the Maroon Tide will be a matchup against the Long Beach Bearcats for the district championship title. Tip off is set for Friday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 at West Harrison High School.