This one’s for J-Dub: Titans outpace 6A Panthers, dedicate game to fan

Published 5:50 pm Thursday, December 28, 2017

The packed house inside Port Arthur Memorial’s Competition Gym was still filing out as senior swingman Darion Chatman pointed the fans out following Thursday’s nightcap at the James Gamble Classic.

“You see all these people here?” Chatman said. “The other day before Christmas [Dec. 23], my homeboy J-Dub died. He got shot in the chest.”

J-Dub was Jalen Johnson, 24, a Port Arthur resident and Memorial fan who was shot to death in Longview.

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“With all these people, we did it for him,” Chatman said. “We played his song before the game, brought them roses, left his seat empty and did everything. This is for him.”

The Titans then went to work.

Thailan Wesley hit 15 of his game-high 26 points in the first half, Chatman finished with 20, and 5A fifth-ranked Memorial scored a convincing 78-59 win over 6A Fort Bend Ridge Point.

Memorial (11-5), which has won three straight all at home, will take on Houston Scarborough at 6 p.m. Friday in another tournament nightcap.

Memorial was ahead 14-4 halfway through the first period behind three Wesley field goals and two Chatman drives to the basket. Ridge Point (14-6), which started out cold from the field, climbed to within 23-21 in the second quarter behind seven of center Jordan Wallace’s 10 points and trailed 36-34 at halftime, but trailed the entire game.

“Execution would be a big part,” Chatman said. “We executed in the second half.”

Memorial executed to the tune of a 12-0 run out of halftime, and the Panthers never recovered.

Jamyus Jones added 13 points for the Titans. Andrew Wallace led Ridge Point with 15 points.

PNG 83, Sabine Pass 57

BRIDGE CITY — Port Neches-Groves raced to a 23-10 first-quarter lead and weathered a 34-point performance by Sabine Pass’ Daniel Sam to pick up the first of two victories Thursday in the Bridge City Cardinal Classic.

Drake Rojas scored 22 points, Derrick Jones had 17 and Edsel Damo totaled 15 for PNG (9-10). Harold James added 13 points for Sabine Pass (6-6).

PNG 62, Anahuac 28

BRIDGE CITY — Another strong first quarter gave the Indians a great start in their second win of the day.

PNG didn’t look back after leading 21-4 after 8 minutes and 37-12 at halftime.

Rojas led the Indians with 14 points and Hunter Curtis added 10. PNG will play Bridge City at 9 a.m. Friday.

Bridge City 76, Sabine Pass 62

BRIDGE CITY — A one-possession game with less than 4 minutes remaining expanded to a 14-point Cardinals win.

Bridge City (6-9), which was ahead 54-53 through three periods, shot 13 for 21 from the free-throw line, as did Sabine Pass. The Cardinals, though, made 8 of 11 in the fourth quarter, while the Cardinals converted only 3 of 10.

Five different Cardinals each scored in double figures. Sam led Sabine Pass with 35 points and made 13 of 18 free throws, while James added 19 points.

Sabine Pass will face Anahuac at 10:20 a.m. Friday.

I.C. Murrell: 721-2435. Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews

About I.C. Murrell

I.C. Murrell was promoted to editor of The News, effective Oct. 14, 2019. He previously served as sports editor since August 2015 and has won or shared eight first-place awards from state newspaper associations and corporations. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee, grew up mostly in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

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