The Nanih Waiya and Noxapater boys and girls basketball teams entered their contests against each other on Friday night with the same two things on their collective minds — pick up their first region win of the season and knock off their arch-rivals.
It was the Warriors and Lady Warriors of NW that realized those goals, but both contests were hard-fought into the fourth quarter with the NW girls holding on for a 46-39 win and the Warriors outscoring Noxapater 22-8 over the last 11 minutes to earn the 61-45 victory.
Both games were entertaining, with the boys game being highlighted by several runs.
Noxapater took a 16-10 lead with 1:02 remaining in the first quarter on the second of back-to-back baskets by Ryan Whitfield.
With Noxapater leading 22-17 midway in the second quarter, the Warriors outscored the Tigers 10-2 the rest of the way to take a 24-22 halftime lead with the final points of the half coming on an offensive rebound and putback by NW’s Tyquan McCully.
Noxapater opened the third quarter by regaining the lead on back-to-back long-range three-pointes from freshman point guard Kyle Phillips, giving the Tigers a 30-28 advantage. Nanih Waiya then went on a nine-point run, closing it out on a putback by Rico Moore to go up 37-30 with 5:04 left in the third quarter.
Noxapater continued to battle, using another 3-pointer by Phillips to close NW’s lead to 39-37 with 3:04 to play in the third. After nearly two minutes of scoreless basketball the Warriors began their game-ending run — thanks to a pair of clutch 3-pointers by Try McMullen —putting away the win and improving to 6-10 overall on the season.
Moore ended the night with 16 points and five rebounds, while McMullan had 15 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Dailey posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while McCully scored 14 points and Tylan Glass had five rebounds.
Whitfield and Phillips led Noxapater with 17 points each, while Bryan Glass scored seven for the Tigers.
In the girls game Nanih Waiya led 11-7 after one quarter and stretched it out to 19-10 thanks to three made free throws from Ambria Tubby and a basket by Taina Thompson.
Noxapater responded by going on a 12-5 run to close out the quarter, cutting the NW lead to 24-22 at the half. Four different Lady Tigers scored during that run with Rayvyn Wagner’s free throw with 5.2 seconds left in the half cutting the NW lead to two.
Nanih Waiya led 34-28 with eight minutes to play with the last basket of the third quarter coming on a fast-break layup by NW’s Coleman with eight seconds left off a missed 3-pointer by Noxapater.
The Lady Warriors stretched it lead to 41-34 before Noxapater’s Jenna Wilkes made a free throw, then stole the ball at half court and scored a layup to cut the NW advantage to 41-37.with 1:58 left. Noxapater was not able to get any closer however, as NW held on for the 46-39 win.
Tubby led NW with 19 points, while Thompson scored nine and Madison Alford seven.
Wagner had nine points to lead Noxapater, followed by Kaylan Brown with eight and Kaliyah Moore and Marley Joiner with six each.
NOXAPATER
Earlier in the week the Tigers and Lady Tigers dropped region contests to homestanding Ethel High School.
Kyle Phillips scored 15 points and D.J. Kelly dropped in 14 in the Noxapater boys’ 65-47 loss to Ethel. The Ethel girls took a 49-25 win over Noxapater. Laney Boatner scored eight and Asia Glass six for Noxapater in the game.
The Tigers and Lady Tigers were set to host West Lowndes on Tuesday of this week, before visiting French Camp Academy on Friday. The following week has Noxapater hosting McAdams on Jan. 28 and Ethel on Jan. 31.
NANIH WAYA
The Warriors dropped a tough 65-62 contest to region foe McAdams last Tuesday, while the Lady Warriors fell to McAdams 61-38.
Tyquan McCully had 21 points for the Warriors, while Ethan Dailey hit for 13 points, Izaiaha Nicholson 12, and Trey McMullan nine.
The Lady Warriors held a 14-5 lead over McAdams after one quarter of play but the homestanding Lady Bulldogs outscored NW 16-3 in the second quarter and 30-10 in the third on the way to a 61-38 win.
Ambria Tubby and I’Onnya Coleman led NW with nine points each, while Morgan Mills scored eight and Taina Thompson 7.
The Warriors and Lady Warriors began a four-game region homestand on Tuesday by hosting French Camp. NW is set to entertain Ethel on Friday, division-leading West Lowndes on Jan. 28 and McAdams on Jan. 31.
