BOYS PREP BASKETBALL: Nashville Takes Command of Mississippi

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ In the game of basketball- especially when playing against one of the state's top-ranked Class 2A teams- every little mistake and miscue seems to be magnified.

Friday night, the Du Quoin Indians learned that lesson the hard way. And it likely ended up costing them at least a share of the River-to-River Conference's Mississippi Division crown.

An efficient Nashville squad (24-2, 7-1) did very little wrong in its impressive 61-51 victory over Du Quoin in Anders Memorial Gym.

The Indians (19-7, 7-2) fell victim to a pair of key Nashville spurts and must win remaining SIRR games over Anna-Jonesboro and Sparta- and then hope for help from the same two second division teams- in order to gain at least a piece of the title pie. Du Quoin visits A-J Saturday and then closes regular season play versus Sparta next week.

There were ample chances for the Indians- who had hopes of a second consecutive 20-win season temporarily put on hold. Du Quoin, which had been shooting free throws at a 72 % clip- struggled badly from the line in the opening half (5-for-14) and finished just 14-for-29.

Nashville held a 13-10 lead after one quarter and was ahead 26-19 by intermission. Reserve guard Michael Wilson drained three-pointers on three consecutive possessions during a 90 second span to deliver an early dagger to Du Quoin. The Indians misfired eight times from the charity stripe during the flurry, but used foul tosses from Dalton Morgan and Jamor Reed to keep things close.

After David Conner buried a long three to push Nashville up 43-27 three minutes into the final quarter, Du Quoin mounted a furious comeback.

The Indians were within nine (52-43) after back-to-back hoops by Reed before the Hornets salted away things at the foul line. Nashville was 10-for-14 in the final frame.

Morgan led Du Quoin with another double-double, his ninth straight, scoring 18 points to go with 11 rebounds. Reed added 14 points and A.J. Hill netted eight.

For Nashville-which ended the Tribe's eight-game win streak- Conner had 20 points and Jordan Meier 16.

14 IN A ROW....

After blitzing Nashville with a 31-8 start, Du Quoin's junior varsity team held on for dear life in Friday's preliminary. A 57-54 victory, which saw a 21-point lead whittled down to just two in closing seconds, improved the young Indians to 14-0.

The win also clinched the River-to-River Conference's Mississippi Division jayvee title for the second time in three seasons.

Marcus Clarry poured in 18 points, all but two coming in the first half as Du Quoin (8-0 SIRR) bolted to a 34-14 halftime lead.

Cody Rose added 11 points with Logan Carson adding eight. Seth Baxter and Logan Schneider each netted seven.

A steal and lay-up by Rose with under two seconds left finally sealed the win after Nashville managed two decent shots at the basket from three-point land.

The three-point decision is the closest game to date for Du Quoin

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