It had all the earmarks of big time high school hoops as Pinckneyville’s venerable Duster Thomas Gym hosted the first semi-final game of the IHSA Class AA boys basketball sectional on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Parking space was at a huge premium, and it showed in the packed gymnasium. Although the gym was about 80% Pinckneyville’s powder blue, there was a very respectable Massac County crowd on hand to witness the showdown between the two SIRR Conference foes. The Panthers went 5-3 on the Mississippi side, while Massac went 7-3 on the Ohio side.
The first quarter was tentative for both teams as they bobbed and weaved and felt each other out. Pinckneyville owned a five-point lead, 14-9, at the first horn. The first couple of minutes of the second quarter were fun to watch as both teams raced up and down the floor. A triple from Brody Smallman and a lay-up by Ian Higgerson tied things up at 14 before a questionable foul call on Brady Cissell cost Massac a possession.
Pinckneyville took full advantage as a three ball and a bucket in the paint by 6’6” Karsen Konkel staked the Panthers to a five-point lead. From there, the Panthers outscored Massac 8-4 to end the first half on top 27-18.
Massac came out determined in the third quarter and went on a 13-7 run to close the gap to three points. A Cissell steal and a hard foul on his lay-up attempt put Cissell on the line with a chance to close to one point. But both free tosses missed, and the gap stayed at three points.
Kris Garnett came up with a big defensive play, giving Massac the ball at the 2:50 mark, but the Patriots misfired on a three ball, and Reid Harriss made them pay dearly with a bucket. A pair of buckets on hard cuts from Kellen Scott and Harriss off of crisp passes from Pearson Launius pushed the lead out to nine points, before a Hosman bucket cut it seven at the third horn.
With a seven-point lead, the Panthers were in no hurry entering the final frame, but Konkel delivered the dagger early with a stick-back on an offensive rebound. Launius got to the rim once again at the 5:42 mark and the lead was 11. A Smallman triple gave Massac a glimmer of hope, but down the stretch, Massac had to foul to regain possessions, and Pinckneyville did what they had to do at the line. The Panthers made 12 of 15 attempts to put the game on ice and the final score settled at 56-43.
Hosman was the only Patriot to reach double figures in scoring with 19, while Pinckneyville’s Launius, Konkel and Smith all reached double figures.
Massac ends its season with a 25-7 slate, and the 27-6 Panthers move on to meet the winner of the Breese Central and Carterville matchup on Wednesday, March 1.
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