BASKETBALL: Murphysboro outlasts Panthers in Marion
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Murphysboro remained undefeated this season behind a 20-point effort from Jerrod Gaston on Saturday, defeating Pinckneyville 51-30 at the third annual Best of the Midwest shootout at Marion High School.
A 9-0 run just before half and a strong third quarter helped the Devils as they held Pinckneyville to just 29% (10-of-34) shooting in the game.
"I thought we put ourselves in a position in the first half to be successful," said Panthers' head coach Bob Waggoner, "but it seemed like (Murphysboro) played with a lot more energy in the second half, got a little bit easier shots than we did and then we wore down."
"Give them a lot of credit, they've got a senior-oriented ball club."
Orlando Jarrett's bucket with 1:50 to go in the opening quarter capped off a 6-0 run for the Devils and had Waggoner calling for timeout.
Hunter Queen connected with a three before the end of the period, but Gaston penetrated for an easy two just before the buzzer and Murphysboro led 12-7 after eight minutes.
Kyle Lamb had the first four points of the second quarter, then Steve Brueggeman sank a fast break layup off of Bryant Shute's outlet pass as the Panthers completed a 6-0 for their first lead.
After two Christian Shopinski free throws made it 18-17 Panthers, the Red Devils threatened to pull away before the half. Jordan Stanton got two on a rebound and putback, then Dylan Craig tipped one in after three Murphysboro offensive rebounds. Jarrett added a two and Craig a three-pointer from the top of the key, and the Devils were in charge 26-18.
"It's hard to rebound when you don't fight for space, and I didn't think we fought for space very well," Waggoner said.
Bryant Shute hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to keep the Panthers in striking distance just before the break.
Queen's three with 5:52 to go in the third brought Pinckneyville within four, but the Devils proved to be too quick, too experienced.
Gaston finished off an 8-0 Murphysboro run with an emphatic jam with 2:52 on the clock which came after the senior picked the pocket of a Panther ballhandler.
"That's when a senior team that knew what it needed to do to push the lead did it, and we didn't," Waggoner said. "I thought we should have been more patient, reversed the ball one or two times and make them play the halfcourt game, because if you're going to run with them, you're going to lose every time."
Pinckneyville got no closer than down ten the rest of the way, committing 20 turnovers for the game.
Brueggeman led the Panthers with 7 points, Queen had 6, Shute and Lamb 5, Dylan Hardin 4, Shopinski 2 and Payton Nippe 1.
Pinckneyville (2-2) hosts unbeaten Nashville this Friday, followed by a visit from Herrin on Saturday.
PANTHERS TAME WILDCATS
PINCKNEYVILLE, IL (GNS) - On Friday, Pinckneyville stormed to a 51-30 win over Anna-Jonesboro in the Panthers' home opener at Thomas Gymnasium behind 16 points from senior Steve Brueggeman.
"I thought we came out ready to play and defend our home court," said Waggoner. "I thought that we had a very good week of practice, I thought our focus was better and I thought our defensive intensity was better tonight. I thought we took some things away from them that were their strengths."
Queen hit a pair of three-pointers to give the Panthers an early 13-5 lead, but with 7:20 to go in the first half Brady Wright drained one from beyond the arc and Tylor Duckworth followed with a runner across the lane as the Wildcats hung around down 17-12.
The Panthers turned up their intensity, with Brueggeman starting a 10-0 Pinckneyville run with a baseline jumper, then a running bank shot with 5:35 on the clock. Shopinski completed the spurt with a putback with 3:30 to go, and the Panthers had a 15-point advantage.
Cody Livesay hit a layup and Wright sank another three as A-J scored the first seven points of the second half to trail 31-21, but they would get no closer the rest of the night.
The Panthers had a 12-2 run from the midway point of the third until three minutes into the fourth period.
"It was nice to give them a scouting report, work on the scouting report and then execute the scouting report.," Waggoner said. "I thought tonight we played a good all-around ball game."
The Panthers shot 45% (20-for-44) from the field while holding the Wildcats to just 30% (11-for-37).
Queen added 10 points for Pinckneyville, Lamb 8, Shopinski and Hardin each had 8, Shute 3, Nippe 2. Duckworth led A-J with 11.
In the junior varsity contest, the J-V Panthers moved to 3-0 this season with a 59-30 win.