PORT NECHES — Pat Abel is all about collecting wins with his Port Neches-Groves Indians at this point in the season.
The Indians got another critical District 22-5A victory Tuesday by defeating Lumberton 49-30 at The Reservation.
PN-G (14-9, 6-4) got 10 points from both Ram Polavarapu and Ryan Abel to secure the win. Abel finished with eight rebounds and Derrick Papa and Hayden Wiggins each finished with nine points. Wiggins grabbed seven boards, six offensive.
“He [Wiggins] is really playing well for us over the last month,” Abel said. “He is not playing like a typical sophomore and we really need that from him down the stretch.”
The Indians certainly needed Wiggins’ play early on to erase a 6-0 start by the Raiders (15-14, 2-8).
Adam Morse got the Indians on the board first with a three-pointer and Wiggins then hit a basket and a free throw to tie the game at 6-6. Lumberton’s Tim Rhodes and Wiggins then traded two baskets each as the two teams were tied at 10-10.
Abel gave the Indians the lead for good with a rebound as PN-G went up 11-10 after the first quarter.
“I think the team likes to start so slow so that the fans will stay,” Abel joked. “We knew Lumberton would come in with some energy and that is exactly what it did. Rhodes is a great player. He is a senior and he is playing his final year how you would expect any senior to do.”
Rhodes scored 17 points for the Raiders on 5-of-14 shooting and was the only Lumberton player to score in double digits.
The Raiders as a team only made 1 of 10 shots behind the arc. PN-G made 8 of 28 three-point attempts and was 16 of 44 from the floor.
PN-G outrebounded Lumberton 37-27 and scored 16 points in the paint.
The difference came in the second quarter when the Indians outscored the Raiders 13-5 to take a 24-15 lead into the break.
Papa knocked down two treys in the frame and the Indians ended the second on an 8-2 run. Abel also hit a three-pointer in the run.
PN-G outscored Lumberton 13-9 in the third and then won the fourth 12-6.
The win was a critical one for PN-G considering the team now faces 22-5A’s top three teams in a row.
PN-G travels to face Nederland Friday before games against Ozen and Central next week.
“Nederland is playing well right now,” Abel said. “We have to go to their place and match them stride-for-stride. Hopefully, we will play a little defense and then get a couple of shots to fall.”