[LaCOMBE, LA] The Muddy River Counselors and the PCA Paladins met in LaCombe to battle it out between the top two seeds in the MSAHA. This was the case for both 16U boys and 18U boys.
Going into the 16U game, the Counselors were the #1 seed, with a perfect 8-0 record. The Paladins were sitting on a 7-1 record with their only loss being in their previous meeting with the Counselors on Nov. 5. The Counselors got a lead early but it was narrow. The Paladins stormed back to tie the game at 24 at the half. The Paladins even led by 4 with 2 and a half minutes to go in the ball game. But behind big buckets from Rydell Breakfield and Justin Bickham, the Counselors took over and won the game 47-41. Muddy River would have to lose all the rest of their 16U conference games to lose the #1 seed. They can secure it on Jan. 3 against the Hattiesburg Forerunners.
The 18U boys game began as a tight match, with PCA holding a narrow 11-8 lead late in the first quarter. But three consecutive three-pointers from the Paladins pushed their lead out to a 20-8 lead to end the first quarter.
The second quarter belonged to the Paladins. Drew Boggs nailed six three pointers in the second quarter, outscoring the Counselors in that quarter on this own. At halftime, PCA held a commanding 43-21 lead, this was the largest halftime deficit of the season for the Counselors.
In the third, the Counselors came alive and began to cut into the lead. They trailed only by 14 heading into the final period as Sun Michael Williams began hitting shots from deep as he had gone scoreless in the first half. The Counselors made a valiant effort for a massive comeback and even cut it to nine. But the Paladins broke the pressure and were able to score late and hold onto the 73-53 win over the Counselors.
Senior Collier Waldmann and Boggs each finished with 21 points in the game. The Paladins now sit at 14-1 on the season.
Caleb Sanders led the Counselors with 17 points and Williams had 16.
