Southwest DeKalb’s Messiah Mergan (5) looks to pass up court against the Tucker press being applied by Jordan Burton (1) and Braedyn Gillespie (2). Mergan finished the night with a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double to help lead the Panthers to a 58-49 win over Tucker. (Photo by Mark Brock)
A 42-17 dominating performance on the backboards propelled the Class 4A No. 4 ranked Southwest DeKalb Panthers to a 58-49 boys’ high school basketball victory over the No. 7 Tucker Tigers for the lead in the Region 5-4A standings with two weeks remaining in the regular season.
The Panthers (19-2, 11-1) got a little payback on the Tigers (16-5, 10-2) who had upset the Panthers 58-51 at Tucker back December 13.
Southwest DeKalb broke a 10-10 tie with 1:03 to play in the first quarter on a put back by Messiah Mergan. Jackson Ushery would finish off the 6-0 run by the Panthers with back-to-back baskets in the final 39 seconds to push the Panthers out to a 14-10 lead heading into the second period.
The Panthers would not trail the rest of the way as Ushery’s three-pointer with under 10 seconds left in the half sent his squad into the locker room up 10 at 28-18.
Tucker cut the lead to seven three times in the second half including a three-pointer by Austin Walker to open the second half that trimmed the Panthers’ advantage to 28-21 just 15 seconds into the third quarter.
Two free throws by Jordan Burton with 6:24 left in the third quarter cut it to seven for the second time at 32-25 but the offensive attack underneath the backboard by the Panthers (eight offensive rebounds in the period) fueled a spurt to push the lead back into double figures.
The Panthers kept the rebounding pressure on drawing fouls as they put shots back up that would lead to a 10 for 12 showing at the free-throw line in the quarter.
Tucker was only able to get as close as nine points (twice) in the third quarter once on a deep three-pointer by Jakobe Williams and then two free throws by Williams.
Ushery knocked down a pair of free throws for the Panthers with 21 seconds left in the quarter to make it a 46-34 margin heading into the fourth quarter.
Tucker’s Jakobe Williams (with ball) drives past Southwest DeKalb’s Randall Hanks (10). Williams lead all scores with 18 points in the losing cause for Tucker. (Photo by Mark Brock)
Tucker narrowed the gap to eight on three separate occasions in the fourth quarter once on an old fashioned three-point play by Williams, a drive by Devin King and a baseline drive by Walker.
Southwest DeKalb responded with two quick baskets, one by Kelvin Peck and another by Kelan Smith, to push the advantage back up to 56-44 with just 1:49 to play.
Tucker would not quit as King got another baseline drive and Williams hauled down a long rebound to drain a three-pointer with 16 seconds to play that cut the lead to 56-49.
Smith hit a pair of free throws with less than a second to play for the final margin of 58-49.
Messiah Mergan finished the night with a 12-point, 13-rebound double-double to lead the way on the boards for the Panthers who had five players with five or more rebounds on the night compared to two Tigers with team high of four rebounds. Jackson Ushery led the Panthers with 13 points and Kelvin Peek III added 10 points.
Tucker got a game-high 16 points from Jakobe Williams and 10 more from Austin Walker.
Southwest DeKalb travels to St. Pius for another Top 10 matchup in a Region 5-4A makeup game on Thursday.