GIRLS BASKETBALL: One point better: Duncan FT gives Titans district win over Indians

Published 4:49 pm Friday, January 4, 2019

Memorial pushed the ball 94 feet to its leading scorer, Julia Sion, for the potential game-winning basket.

When the senior’s bank shot rimmed out, a sophomore who’s split time between the varsity and junior varsity teams became the hero.

Jordan Duncan hit the first of two free throws with 3.5 seconds left, and the Titans made one last defensive stop to escape with a 45-44 home victory over Port Neches-Groves on Friday.

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“It was a lot of pressure, but I felt like I was going to do it and we were going to win,” Duncan said.

Girls basketball: Memorial 45, PNG 44. Julia Sion 15 pts. Jordan Duncan go-ahead FT with 3.5 seconds left.

Posted by Port Arthur News Sports on Friday, January 4, 2019

Memorial (9-10, 3-1 in 21-5A) denied PNG (15-9, 3-1) a chance to remain tied in first place in District 21-5A with Barbers Hill, whom the Indians will host Tuesday. Memorial has not lost to PNG in five district meetings since dropping to 5A in the 2016-17 season.

“I told them it was going to be tough,” Titans coach Kevin Henry said. “PNG has been playing with a lot of confidence. They’ve improved over the last year. … I knew it was going to be a game for 32 minutes, and they weren’t going to let up, and we had to match their energy.”

PNG, playing without injured senior post players Harlee Barnwell (torn ACL) and Chelsea Carrillo (dislocated elbow), erased a 26-14 deficit early in the third quarter and tied it at 44-all on two Abby Lunceford free throws with 12.8 seconds in the game. Duncan rebounded Sion’s miss and drew the foul, making the first free throw but her second shot did not hit the rim.

On in the inbound play, the Titans trapped Mollee Priddy in the backcourt, and Priddy, who had 13 points, could not fire a clean shot before the horn sounded.

“I think we’re playing really well right now,” said PNG coach Kara Skinner, her team trying to make the UIL playoffs for the first time in program history. “… We’re playing without a big part of our offense, a big part of the heart of our team. Those have been big blows mentally to our team. This just happened.

“To come out and play the way they did despite that, they have nothing to be upset about. We’re going to be ready. We’re going to respond.”

Sion finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. The 6-foot-1 center went 7 for 10 at the foul line, which was key for a Titans team that made only 11 of 24 at the line.

“I think [PNG] figured out our team likes to feed me the ball, so they probably took me away and made our guards work,” Sion said.

Maylin Stampley scored 15 and had four rebounds and five steals for PNG, which hit 19 for 30 from the foul line. She knocked down a three-point basket with 40 seconds to go to narrow Memorial’s lead to 43-42, and Lakorian Fontenet made 1 of 2 at the line to push the lead back to two points.

PNG whistled Holly Jones for an offensive foul with 15.3 seconds to go, but the Indians got the ball back and Lunceford was fouled as she tried to pull up for a jumper near the top of the key.

The Titans opened up a 10-8 first-quarter lead while controlling the glass and winning loose balls. Back-to-back treys by Emily McElroy and Marceya Scott gave Memorial a 24-14 advantage, the score at halftime.

PNG, though, managed to get to the line often in the third and chip away at Memorial’s lead, which was 34-29 at quarter’s end. The Indians made 17 of 25 second-half free throws.

“We’ve got to know basketball situations, so as the season goes on, hopefully we’ll improve that,” Henry said. “We’re ahead and we’re rushing trying to score more. Make them come out and guard you. That’s what we were trying to do, but we weren’t on the same page. You saw the results of what happened.”

Kandice Comeaux had nine points, four rebounds and four steals for PNG. Nine different Memorial players scored, with Scott scoring six.

The Titans will visit Cleveland on Tuesday.

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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