The French Camp boys basketball team played at Leake County Tuesday in the opening round of the MHSA 1A playoffs after finishing fourth at the Region 5-1A tournament with a win and two losses.
The Panthers opened the tournament with a 65-33 win over Noxapater before losing to Ethel 63-53 in the semifinals and to Nanih Waiya 66-45 in the consolation game.
C.J. Johnson had a big game against Noxapater with 34 points as the Chargers ran off to a 35-10 halftime lead and breezed to the victory.
“All the guys really played well,” said coach Robert Leathers. “They got after it defensively.”
Although Noxapater was winless in region games, he pointed out that the Tigers were playing better late in the season with a two-point loss to McAdams and a six-point loss to Ethel.
Darrion Smith had 14 points for the Panthers.
The matchup with Ethel was a rubber game after the teams split their two regular season games. Defensive mistakes hurt French Camp.”We were in too big of a hurry defensively,” Leathers said.
A highlight for the Panthers was a three-point buzzer beater by Johnson from well beyond midcourt that pulled French Camp within four at the half.
French Camp also split two regular season games with Nanih Waiya, including a 58-55 victory one week earlier. But the Warriors easily won the tournament game.
“We sleepwalked in the first quarter. That was as bad as we have played,” Leathers said.
Nanih Waiya nearly knocked off regular season and tournament champion West Lowndes in the semifinals. The Warriors led by six with a minute left, but turned the ball over three times, allowing West Lowndes to escape with a 39-38 victory.
