Smith, Panthers need extra minutes to stop FPD

mbrown@sunmulti.com

K.J. Smith had 33 points Saturday in Perry High’s thrilling

87-77 overtime non-region home victory against Mike Brooker’s First

Presbyterian Day School Vikings.

Smith put on a show of 3-point shooting in the first half,

but would then bring his game inside the arc to pace the Panthers past their

Macon guests. He had Perry’s first five points of the four-minute overtime

session and put his club up by three, 80-77, on a penetration to the hole.

Shawon Williams of FPD, who had 19 points, was the one

responsible for the contest needing overtime. He hit a top-of-the-key 3-pointer

at the regulation buzzer. The second half was all about the punch,

counter-punch of plays with neither side taking a lead of more than a point in

the third period.

The tallest player on the court was Viking center Caleb

Dupree. He was a force inside with 21 points, and at the 1:03 mark of the third

his shot block was the counter for defensive work by Perry’s Kevin Ford and

Deonte Solomon. The Vikings scored right after the block to lead 51-50.

In the time remaining, Perry’s Jalen Walker sank a 3-pointer

from the top of the key. But with 17 seconds to go, the counter came from

Dupree’s stick-back. So the combatants entered the fourth period tied at 53-53.

The Panthers would go up by as many as six, Marquez Thomas

converting a beautiful feed inside from Larry Felder. Smith, taking on more the

role of a creator than shooter, sank both free-throws on a foul at the

offensive glass. Walker later took a pass low, and his three-point play widened

the margin to six, 63-57.

FPD, however, completed a comeback run of 7-1. Williams’

top-of-the-key trey at 1:57 tied things up again 64-64. As the Vikings went

4-for-6 at the line, Perry was down by two with 47 seconds left. Smith was

fouled driving the baseline, Felder grabbed a huge defensive board against

Dupree, and from the stripe Perry was up 71-68.

Not only did Smith spark the Panther offense in overtime,

but also Ford had an offensive board and assist to Walker, who had 11 total

points. Felder and Jemarcus Davis each had 11, Thomas 13 and Solomon nine.

T.J. Sams led the visitors with 31 points.

Perry jumped out to a 13-5 first-quarter lead as Thomas and

Walker each caused turnovers, and Smith hit three shots from extra-long range.

But as Dupree slammed two in, the Vikings shaved their deficit to one point.

Felder used some nifty moves to score, and Solomon followed

in Felder’s later miss from 3. Solomon got into the offensive act, making a 3

off Felder’s steal and 2 from Jamal Bagley’s immediate press steal.

The Panther lead going into the second quarter was seven,

24-17. The Vikings shot an incredible percentage on the outset, and Perry saw

themselves instead trailing by five at 5:52. Smith, using both defense and

penetration, helped the hosts get back even 36-36, and the back-and-forth

battle began.

Derrick Toliver’s block led to a basket from Smith, who, as

the half came to a close, rewarded his forward with a no-look lob. It was 40-39

Panthers at the break.

Toliver, in the third quarter, scored from Thomas’ bullet

assist. Ford’s pick-pocket steal had the Panthers ahead by three, but that didn’t

last long after FPD’s three-point play. Dupree’s spin move in the post was

countered by Smith’s back-door lob assist to Felder.

This past weekend, the Panthers also improved to 2-0 in

Region 2-AAAA by holding off Greg Nix and the Mary Persons High Bulldogs 55-49

Friday in Forsyth. Perry was up 22-12 after one quarter and 35-28 at the half.

Smith, with only one 3-pointer, had 14 points. Ford scored

nine, and Felder had nine rebounds and nine steals.

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